Learning to Submit to Authority // How to Get Over Yourself and Live a Life That Counts, Part 5

A Different Perspective Official Podcast

Every nation, every society, every family has to have some system of authority. And by and large – we accept that, we don’t mind it … unless and until we disagree with those in authority. Then it’s on for young and old. And the reason for that, is pride.

Over the course of this week and again next week on the program we're taking a look at perhaps one of the most destructive diseases going around these days. It's the disease of pride. Pride's ugly. Pride is about me setting myself up above you. It's about me winning and you losing. It's about me getting the lime light and you not. It's about me being a know it all and you knowing nothing.

Pride is about one person setting themselves up above, well, not only other people but above God as well. A few days ago on the program we read these words from God to the arrogant king of Babylon in the Old Testament, from Isaiah chapter 14:

What a come down this O Babylon. Flat on your face in the underworld mud. You, famous for flattening nations. You said to yourself, 'I'll climb to the heavens, I'll set my throne over the stars of God, I'll run the assembly of angels that meets on a sacred mountain, I'll climb to the top of the clouds, I'll take over as the king of the universe.

But you didn't make it did you? And see, that's the whole point. Ultimately our pride leads to our destruction. Yesterday on the program we chatted about one aspect of pride. It's that 'know it all' attitude. What happens when our hearts are shut, when we're not prepared to receive instruction or correction.

Today I want to pick up on that and take it one step further. Today we're going to chat about authority in our lives. Specifically our submission to authority. Again, perhaps not quite the sort of thing we want to talk about but actually, it's incredibly important.

You know authority isn't really a problem in our lives until we disagree with the decisions and instructions of those who are placed in authority over us. Now, different cultures handle authority in different ways. In part, Asia, Korea for instance, China, people take authority very seriously because the mind set is quite hierarchical.

I remember asking one young Korean student who'd been visiting Australia for three months to learn English, what were the biggest cultural differences between Australia and Korea that he noticed? He thought for a moment and then he answered, "In Korea we honour mother and father".

And that's the point. In the west where most of us live in relative freedom in so called advance democracies, we've become a bit belligerent about authority. People routinely undermine their bosses. Children routinely rebel against their parents. And what amazes me is that sometimes parents just seem to accept that. 'Oh, I can't control my teenagers' is something you often hear.

Yeah, those teenage years can be hard but each of my three at some point in their growing up and rebellion is a natural part of that process for most, each one of them got this from me, this very simple ultimatum. If you don't like the rules in this house, if you want to do your own thing, that's fine, go and live somewhere else but while you live under this roof with the provision that your mother and I give you, you will do what we say.

Now that may seem a bit old fashioned but I was deadly serious and they knew it. Now, do we all want to live in some prison like society where rulers lord it over common people? Of course we don't but in order for a country, a society, a community, a Church, a family, whatever the grouping is, in order for them to function there needs to be some system of authority.

And as I said, by and large, we're pretty happy with that until we disagree with whoever's in authority over us. Then, then it's on for young and old. We complain. We rebel. We go slow. We grumble in our hearts. We resist. We undermine. You've done it, I've done it, we've seen it in the workplace, we know how destructive it is. And it's all because of pride.

If someone disagrees with us then, quite simply, they must be wrong. If a decision doesn't suit us, then it must be wrong. Well, it might be. The question is, does our bad behaviour make it any better? Have a listen to this whole discussion of pride and authority in a letter that the Apostle Peter writes to the early Christian Church.

It's great stuff because, my friend, it's time to get over ourselves when it comes to submitting to authority. It begins in the letter of 1 Peter chapter 5, at verse 1. He writes:

I exalt the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the over sight, not under compulsion but willingly as God would have you do it. Not for some sordid gain but eagerly. Don't lord it over those in your charge but be examples to your flock.

In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders and all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt you in due time.

Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion, your adversary the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of sufferings.

Now this is really interesting. Okay, it's written in a different time and in a different culture and a couple of those verses though we've looked at before.

God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.

And verse 8:

Discipline yourselves and keep alert. Because like a roaring lion, your adversary the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour.

They're pretty well known verses, they're often quoted. In fact we've looked at both of them, on the program, in the last week or so. But so often they're quoted out of context. The context in this passage is submission to authority.

There are some very clear instructions on good leadership here but that's not what I want to focus on today. The bit of instruction that's relevant to us, in this discussion, is the bit that says:

Accept authority from the elders. All of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.

Humility is the exact opposite of pride and God's calling us here to clothe ourselves in humility and the way we do that is to accept the authority of those put over us. Note, there's no escape clause here. There's no qualification like, "accept the authority if you agree or if it suits you or if it's convenient or if you feel like it."

Humility equals accepting authority especially when we don't agree with it. Well, what if it's immoral or illegal? Well most of the time it's not. 99% of the time that's not what’s going on. Accepting authority is about humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God and His reward is that He will exalt us when, in due time, in His time, when it's the right time.

Even though I'm the leader, the CEO of this ministry Christianityworks that produces and distributes these radio programs around the world, I am subject to the authority of the board of the ministry. They're all very different people. Most of the time we agree. Sometimes we don't and when we don't the group makes a decision.

It is my job then to implement that decision enthusiastically. Not grumbling to the staff. Not saying to them, "Well, you know, I think we should go this way but the board wants to go that way. I don't agree but I guess we have to do as we're told."

Not like that but with joy in my heart. Clothed in humility. Leading our team in the direction that the board has decided whether or not I agree. And if the board was wrong and I was right, you know something, God would honour that. God would take that glad submission and He will exalt us in His due time.

This is not the world's way but so often the world's way is ugly. I believe it's time to get over ourselves so we can live a life that counts.