Practicing obedience to earthly authorities helps us learn to obey God’s commands. Ephesians 6:1-9
Throughout the Bible, God commands His people to obey Him. But submission doesn’t come naturally to us because we’re all born with a rebellious spirit. We must be taught to obey the Lord, and we begin to understand how to yield through interactions with people in authority over us.
The most commonplace for learning obedience is the home. Today’s passage tells children to honor and obey their mother and father (Eph. 6:1-2). God planned that our earliest experiences of authority would involve submitting to parents who love and care for us. Through their admonitions and discipline, we learn what it takes to master our rebellious spirit.
At every stage of life, God places us under leaders, whether parents, teachers, coaches, employers, or governing officials (Rom. 13:1-2). Of course, like all of humanity, these people were born into sin, so they’ll make mistakes and sometimes treat us unfairly—but they’re still His instruments. Whether or not we approve of how we’re ruled, people in these roles teach us the value of obedience and the consequences of disobedience.
We often balk at the idea of answering to someone else. But it helps to realize that the ultimate goal is to obey the Lord—and that God’s commands are for our good (Deut. 10:12-13).
Credit to In Touch Ministries