Authority, Humility and The Holy

Recently, I have noticed the utter disrespect children have for adults. I thought this was because I was getting older, but a police officer I rode along with affirmed this as well. "It starts with the parents," he kept saying. I agree. Recently, I told some young kids playing on a playground to stop swearing. They asked me, "Who are you?" I said, "It doesn't matter, now knock it off!" To my amazement, they didn't care what I said. Now when I grew up, if an adult said that to me, I would have been terrified and worried that my parents would find out. There is no respect for authority and no fear either.

Further supporting the notion that respect for authority is evaporating, is the reality that we live in a postmodern world, where people are highly critical and suspect of anyone in authority. In France, very few people aspire to be leaders because there is such rampant disrespect for and constant blame placed upon leaders.

However, as an assistant coach of a 3rd and 4th grade football team, I have noticed a certain quality in the younger head coach. The head coach is a young man in the Navy. He is so different from so many other coaches because he respects the referees, the players, the other coaches and me. (He calls me "Mr. Cushing.") His respect and humility for authority and people in general is really different, it is seperate and set apart from all that is worldly. His respect for authority is rather holy.

Christians are called to submit to authority and live in humility. Christians as husbands should submit to their wives. Wives should submit to their husbands. Children should submit to parents. Employees should submit to empolyers. Congregations should submit to their pastors and leaders. All Christians should submit to civil authorities and Christians are to consider other's interests as more important than their own. And of course we are all to submit in humility to the Lord.

Do we have a spirit of humility at CrossPoint, with our family, at work, etc.? Does being holy as God is holy require humility and submission? What is at stake if we don't live in humility and submission to those in authority over us?

Romans 13:1-4 says, Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

God's word tells us that our inability to live in submission and humility to those in authority is rebellion against the holy God. Also, this passage assumes this rebellion is caused by fear of authority and it brings bondage from which God wants us freed. If we struggle with authority, its is because we are struggling with fear. Fear of what? I believe it is the age-old problem of fear of being out of control and under the control of someone else. This fear of being controlled by those in authority is really lack of faith in the holy who has instituted those in authority.

In short, when we do not live in humility and submission to authority, we are rebelling against God, ruining our witness for Christ, failing to live a life that is holy and living in fear rather than faith.

May CrossPoint be marked by our sincere, pronounced and pervasive quality of humility and submission so that others would notice our freedom, desire our faith and also submit to the Holy One. Without such humility is it not as compelling for others to pursue being holy.

Beams Away!