A faith that never goes public, a faith that no one notices, doesn’t make a difference, doesn’t bring about change, is not the kind of response that God deserves or accepts. Our faith should point a watching and waiting world to Jesus. The world is tearing itself apart and only God can put it back together. He does this through people like you and me, living for him and being transformed by him.

It is important to differentiate what Paul is saying and what Paul is not saying. Paul is not saying submit no matter what. He is saying that as long as what you are being asked to do is not a violation of God’s word and purposes you should obey. There are lots of examples of this in scripture. The Midwives in Egypt disobeyed Pharaoh’s orders to kill all the boys. Daniel and his comrades did ask to not violate the dietary laws of the Old Testament, refused to bow to a false god, or cease praying when it was made illegal. Peter and John give a clear example of how to behave in these circumstances.

Paul is saying that we should obey not just because of the threat of punishment but as part of our devotion to Jesus. Our obedience and good citizenship should flow from an obligation to God. It sends a strong message. These Christians are different. This doesn’t mean we don’t leverage our vote, vocalize our opposition, and take advantage of moments to bring about changes to laws that may or may not violate our Christian conscience. However, it does mean that all of these positions should be rooted in our understanding of God, His word, and the example of Jesus.

Instead of a group of people trying to overthrow governments, lead rebellions or cause problems on secondary issues, they are to remember that their job is to point people to Jesus.

Love people you agree with, like, appreciate, have stuff you like, have power, have something to offer you…..those you don’t like, those you can’t give you anything, have nothing to offer you. Treat people the way you would want to be treated.

God’s desire, Jesus’ hope was that His people would be known for their love. If you do not have to get uncomfortable, sacrifice, give up things, push through pain and emotions as times, you may not be loving as well as you would like to think that you are.

In light of what is coming and what is happening, this is our moment to bring our very best to the table. In light of the sacrifice of Jesus and the return of Jesus what we do matters!