Wednesday, July 25, 2012

July 25, 2012 It's easier to complain and ridicule, but...


I Timothy 2: 1-3 I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.


Seems to me that it's pretty clear here - Paul is exhorting Timothy, and us, to pray for those in authority over us. When he said kings here, he was speaking about people who were not believers nor supportive of The Way or Christians. So what does that look like today?

We are to see what those in authority need (and this may take some serious, open-minded research) and ask God to supply that need. We are to thank God for the leadership He has raised up, or allowed to be in place. We are to be faithful in praying for them, praying when they don't or can't; that's the ministry of making intercession for them.

Honestly, I struggle, and have been struggling, when I see Christians post all kinds of negative things about the leadership in this country. I wonder how much different our leadership might be if we prayed as much as we criticized. It feels sometimes to me like it is much easier to call names than to obey God and pray. We all know sin is pleasurable for a season; I think our problem is naming our unloving and disobedient, disrespectful behavior as sin.

Certainly there is no perfect leader, and our president is a human trying to use his influence to create the kind of world he wants his daughters to inherit. And yes, he may hold positions we wish he did not, but I think, in the long run, praying for him would accomplish more that lampooning and criticizing.

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