Devotion 11/14, This is God’s Country

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Romans 13:6

Man, I so dislike paying taxes. But I have to admit, I enjoy many of the privileges and blessings that those taxes afford. Paul reminds us in Romans 13, that civil authorities are God’s tools to hold back anarchy, chaos, and lawlessness. As a Christian, I’m immune to most laws because my faith in Jesus is going to regulate my behavior far more strictly than a legal code. But I do have a responsibility (I “owe” it, Paul says) to be a good citizen, a good financial manager, a nice respectful neighbor, and a person who willingly honors those who have merited it. And although this letter is written by Paul, it is the inspired “Word of God”.
Obviously the money we pay in the form of taxes betters our lives through the services that this money provides…such as the military, police protection, fire and rescue….etc. This is not to say that we will agree with all that our tax money pays for. I understand that some of what it pays for is even unscriptural. But that does not exempt us from paying what the government says we owe. This is why it is crucial for every Christian to vote into office those people who most closely follow the teaching of God’s Word, so that our laws will reflect that.
We are told to respect and honor those in authority. This doesn’t mean that we respect their personal lives because some of their lives are quite despicable. It does however mean that we should respect their title and office. Daniel 2:21 and Romans13:1 tells us that God puts rulers in authority and takes them down as well. So while we may vehemently disagree with certain political authorities, we are still to show respect for their position and title.
God is our first and final Authority. We are never to disobey His Word in order to obey government laws. If our government demands that we sin against God by disobeying Him then we are to obey God over government. Remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego!
As God’s children we are representative of Him to the world we live in. Therefore, we are to obey the governing authorities that He has put in power around us. While most Christians do not have any problem obeying governing church authority, there seems to be a disconnect for some when it comes to obeying the governing laws of our country, state, and city. And clearly this was a problem in Paul’s time as well for Paul addresses the issue with the inspired Word of God.

Lord, I pledge my allegiance to you. You alone are Sovereign, Ruler, and King. But because you call me to honor my government, because you have so richly blessed me to be in a land such as this, because you have lavished your grace on me so richly, I commit to live today in a way that honors my allegiance to you, my citizenship in my country, and my respect toward those whom I meet this day. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Lord, I am so blessed to be an American. I pray that my words and actions reflect Your Word to anyone that crosses my path, that I am a good and responsible citizen. I pray for all of our leaders that they listen to your Holy Spirit in leading this country as You and You alone have blessed this country. This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.