Loading ...
« New Typing Course | Home | President of the Underground Railroad »
If You Disagree With Your Authority
By Mark Roth on March 11, 2009 at 9:40 am
“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” —Romans 13:7
How can you respect an authority over you if you have difficulty with his instructions or disagree with him? For example, what should you do if your dad or your foreman at work tells you to do something that is questionable or wrong?
Take a lesson from Daniel. He had a firm purpose to please God by living a holy life (v. 8). When asked to eat inappropriate food, he politely asked to be exempt. When his superior was reluctant, Daniel offered a reasonable alternative. Then his authority gave permission.
Here are some guidelines when appealing to an authority:
— Pray much and ask God for wisdom
— Eliminate an independent spirit. Go with a humble, not a haughty, spirit.
— Think of a suitable alternative, if possible, that will be acceptable to the authority and allow him to reach his goals.
— Have the attitude of a learner rather than a superior.
— Explain politely why you have a difficulty in meeting his expectations
What if you seriously disagree with your church leader’s sermon?
“I don’t agree with everything he said…” That is a fairly common saying, and it is understandable and sometimes to be expected. But what comes after that remark reveals whether you are respectful to authority or not.
One way to react to the sermon is to stew and fret and practically make yourself sick. A second reaction is to roast the preacher at home, feed the criticism to your family, and give indigestion to your children. A third reaction is to complain to some sympathetic person who lacks maturity or is disenchanted or out of fellowship with his church. You may have let your own steam off, but what about your listener? You have just given him another burden that he will need to handle before he can grow and rejoin the fellowship. A fourth reaction is to search the Scriptures as the Bereans did and determine whether the preacher was correct or not.
If he was wrong, go and tell him. Entreat him as a father. If you misunderstood or aren’t sure, charitably ask him to clarify.
If you were wrong, humbly ask the Lord to help you see clearly so you can help maintain peace in the church.
Excerpted from: Daily Truth for Godly Youth
Topics: Book Excerpts | 1 Comment »
April 10th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Thank you for a timeous post about this.