Authority is for Good

As human beings we are consumed with power and authority. Our politics reflect it. Our personal relationships reflect it. Even our home life reflects the desire for power and authority. The problem is, we don’t use our power and authority for good.

Brethren, let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your own good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For the same reasons you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending this very thing. Pay all of their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Romans 13.1-10

Saint Paul knew a little something about authority. As a Roman citizen he understood the power wielded by the Roman leaders over the Jewish people and other groups. In those days, if you wanted to live, you obeyed Rome. Plain and simple.

Saint Paul also knew that authority could be used for good. In fact, he taught that God granted authority for our good. Authority from God is not about power over someone. It is about power to do good for someone. It is about helping us be good when we are tempted to be bad.

Like so many other creations of God, we humans have distorted God’s desires. Instead of using authority to do good, we use authority to control others. We even pretend to do good when we control others to live as God desires them to live. Love does not control. Love serves.

When we use authority to love rather than control, we honor God. “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” We can’t ‘go wrong’ by loving others. The problem is, we pretend to love by control rather than service. We cannot force anyone to love. We can only inspire others to love.

There is no more good, than love. Notice of the examples that Saint Paul. “You shall not….” The commandments are self-restrictive rather than used to control others. God didn’t command “You shall force your neighbor not to commit adultery.” He said, “You shall not commit adultery.”

We all receive authority from God at some level, but nothing is more important than the authority we use over ourselves. While we are expected to respect our political authorities, for sake of staying alive, we are invited by God to reveal our love by using our authority for good.

Do we have authority over resources? We should use our authority to commit those resources for good. Do we have authority over others? We should use our authority by setting the example, and living as God wants us to live. Use your authority to reveal God instead of control.

If you have not been given authority over anyone or anything, you still have authority over yourself. You still can use that authority for good rather than trying to control others. Others have their own authority. Other can use their authority has they choose. Everyone answers to God.

When it comes to how others use their authority, that is between them and God. As for us, we have enough work to do just to control ourselves. We shouldn’t waste our time trying to control others, whether we have authority or not.

Just keep telling yourself, “I’m not better because I control others.”