“Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
I Peter 2:17
When you honor authority, it reflects how you esteem God, yourself, and others. Value your civil authority with an attitude of high esteem. There are several benefits to honoring our government.
First of all, when we honor our civil authority, our quality of life can be improved when we invite God to move. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” I Timothy 2:1-2
Second, when we honor civil authority, we can accomplish a unified vision in our city, state, or country. Our support will strengthen our leader and stimulate increase. A lack of support hinders a goal from being accomplished.
Third, God can increase our influence and effectiveness, like He did for Joseph when he was submitted to Potiphar, in the prison, and serving the Pharaoh.
Part of honor includes submission, or bringing yourself under the leadership of your authority. It’s more pleasurable to submit when you agree with your leader; however, the test of real submission is bringing yourself into compliance when you don’t agree with what your authority wants you to do. “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Romans 13:1 This verse was written at the time when Nero was the Emperor of Rome. Nero was the type of leader who burned Christians at the stake, and yet, Paul wrote to submit to them.
The only time we see a righteous reason in God’s Word to rebel against civil authority is when a leader demands the Christian to sin against God. For example, when it was a law to stop praying, Daniel still prayed (Daniel 6). When it was commanded to bow before the king’s image, the Hebrew men did not bow (Daniel 3). When the apostles were commanded to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, they continued to preach, even though they were later tortured, imprisoned, and killed.
When we honor our civil authority, we aren’t just honoring the position, but also the person in the position, praying God’s will be done.
Application: Choose a government leader and pray for him or her today.