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Especially in youth ministry, the verses in Romans 13:1-3 come up often:

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval;”

You read these verses, and many adults would nod their heads in agreement. But most teens aren’t so quick to believe that EVERY authority is instituted by God. What about Hitler? What about unhealthy parents? What about….?

I’ve grown used to these questions, and always emphasize that of course, God’s authority comes first. If a government or parent or other authority asks us to do something actively against God…we are called to follow God. With grace/humility/love, of course.

But something I’ve missed out on proclaiming, until studying to teach it once again recently, was the importance/call towards developing the nature of “Obedience” in the life of a Christian. Because God describes it as a part of who we are in following Christ. We are obedient, in Love.

Jesus said “what you’ve done for the least of these, you’ve done also unto me”. I believe in many of our lives, especially today’s youth, but even some of us “grown-ups”…authority may be included in that “least of these” category. Is our natural response obedience….or is it rebellion?

God doesn’t call us to be obedient to authority only when it makes complete sense and is easy for us. God calls us to be obedient. To have the nature of obedience. To God first, but also to the other authorities in our lives. This is definitely not something many of us can achieve on our own strength. May God’s Spirit enable us to be an obedient people…in the same way that light shines in darkness…

Tuesday night, my wife was out with a friend and the girls were in bed. I’d recently finished a book, and found myself flipping channels. I landed briefly on the new season of American Idol, but it was anything but new…and anything but worth watching.

Then I found PBS, a movie was playing that I’d heard of before and wanted to see. “Young at Heart“. Holy cow. Awesome movie. Seriously. A choir from New England, with members ages low 70’s to mid-90’s. Men and women who have found each other, and something worth pouring themselves into. Very talented, even without the age factoring in. But with the age, definitely becomes an endearing and heart-warming story worth watching. (or buying) A warning though, it will tug at your heart more than most “hey, let’s watch a dvd tonight” type movies…for sure. But in very good/healthy ways.

Our own church family celebrates the life of one of our own members turning 100 this week. Rachel is an energetic, self-motivated woman. She drives herself to church most every Sunday, even in recent sub-zero temperatures. Less than 2 years ago, she called and asked if I would come help her finish staining her gazebo, because even though she could climb the ladder and balance on top of it to get the job done….she figured maybe she shouldn’t.

I hope and pray that I reach that age with the same enthusiasm/gusto that many of these seem to have. I know that means beginning to take better care of myself, perhaps even eating some of those green things that are so popular on other people’s plates.

I doubt my audience contains many of these…but in case there are…thank you. And may we each find some of the elderly in our lives this week to reach out to and appreciate. For the lives they’ve lived, and for the value their lives still bring to our world today. 🙂

“Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

These words come as a great reminder to a world that loves “credit”. The mentality of getting something now, and settling an account at a later date. So popular in our world, not just in the realm of material things that we don’t really need, and can’t afford. But even to the point where it’s used in many cases simply to survive with the bills we’ve accumulated for the life/society.

Even when some of us can clear the hurdles of credit cards, we still find ourselves chained down by what is referred to as “good debt”, but to anyone making payments on these – they’re anything but. Car loans, student loans, and even mortgages can be things we owe others.

I’m not sure if Paul was making a large theological statement about our finances, or a statement that “good followers of Jesus will not take on loans”, although it can definitely be seen as a reminder to lean away from financial debts. Verse 7 talks briefly about taxes & revenue, but that’s the only mention of financial obligations in the entire chapter.

The verses surrounding 8 are focusing on the fulfilling of the law in how we relate to one another. What relational debt do we have to others? To LOVE them. It’s easy for us to relieve ourselves of any other relational debts. We sense a great relief at these words, realizing that simply in loving others (albeit a costly and active sacrificial love) we are FULFILLING the law.

To relate to other people in a way that the only thing we ask/expect of them relationally is that they love. Not simply in our head, but to actually actively communicate to them by our demeanor and language that our expectation of them is light and loving. That the man we meet on the street, our children trying to earn our pride, our siblings who look up to us, our co-workers who feel the need to posture themselves one way or another…no matter who it may be – to communicate to them by our very nature “your love is enough.”

May God help us to be people who release those around us from any burden or expectation other than to love…