Is Old School Relevant? Part 2 Authority:"Get Rid of Them!"

Last week we talked about authority and how God expects us to honor authority, whether it is found in our house or in the White House.  Knowing that God us the initiator of authority, we have to find a way to honor it, and stay in guidelines set even when those in authority may do it wrong.  Today let’s talk about how to get rid of bad authority!   

“When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.” Prov 29:2

Every authority figure has the responsibility to honor God and honor people.  If they are not doing that BEFORE they are put in office, it is unlikely that they will do it afterwards.   So some of what we have today is because of what we have asked for. Most leaders did not end up leading bad after starting their job, they already had signs that were questionable, but many times we vote for reasons that suits us, but does not suit the overall position.  That was learned from Saul and David.  King Saul looked the part of a good leader, but his replacement was a simple shepherd boy.  Scripture reminds us about man looking at the outward appearance, and God looking at hearts.  If we want to be able to respect our authority more, we have to learn to select better.

The bible says when the wicked rule, there are problems.  God knows that the person makes the position, not the other way around. Someone who has true values, lives them and cares about others will rule far better than someone who only looks like they can.    Meaning vote for PEOPLE, not for parties.  If we are going to prosper in this land, here are three ways to deal with bad authority figures.

THREE WAYS WE DEAL WITH BAD AUTHORITY FIGURES

1.      Pray – we can pray that they are changed, drawn to God or removed.  But praying cannot be based on us and our hated for them.  God does not answer vulgar prayers.  We have to consider that everyone has a purpose, a life and we all belong to God. We can't pray against the authority and still have hatred anger, revenge or malice in our hearts when we do it and expect God to answer.  It has to be from a pure heart that seeks Gods will to be done in this earth.   So if we pray that evil befalls them, God does not hear.  If we pray they are removed and that process begins and we get excited and prideful at their demise, God may withdraws His hand.  God wants our prayer to be prayed from a good place, a godly place… even for those who act ungodly. 
2.    Confront-  John the Baptist confronted King Herod about his lifestyle.  It cost him dearly, but confrontation is not wrong when it comes to authority.  How we confront and understanding the consequences of it is key.  Nathan confronted David when he was wrong, but the outcome was totally different. David repented and continued to serve well.  Depending on the heart of the person you confront you may get a totally different response.  Again we are dealing with people who have a choice in how much they want to be a good authority or an evil one. So yes, we can confront them, but understand it does not always work out.
3.   Replace – The last thing is to replace them. Nowadays we don’t really look to over throw governments, but it is an issue that there has to be more people unhappy than just you.  If you are dealing with authority in your home, I suggest replacing them with God.  Meaning obey and honor God and allow Him to deal with HIS authority.   When it comes to politics…. if the system is corrupt, you have to beat it in the system.  We have the right to vote.  If we don’t use it, we really cannot complain about who is in office.  If they are not ruling well, find someone who will- take time to pay attention to the whole package- not just what suites you.   But remember, everyone has a different mindset, we really do have people who only vote if it fits their agenda, they are not considering the person as much as they are the platform.  So there is a system set in place that allows us to replace those in authority, but until that happens, we continue to pray.

CAUTION:

One thing to be aware of is how you act when authority is rebuked or removed.  See none of us is perfect, we are all learning to trust God; so all of us have lessons to learn, no one better than the other.  If our response is not mixed with compassion or prayer for an individual, we may have  the wrong heart towards people God is whipping, so the whipping may stop.   Scripture says it like this...

“Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, For the LORD will be displeased with you and will turn His anger away from them.” Proverbs 24:18

So even when we are happy that better days may be ahead, we should still not joy in the missteps or discipline of another person.  Our prayer should always be that people everywhere connect better with God, and that they are able to walk in their purpose successfully.

BUT..WHAT IF THEY ARE NOT MOVED?

Now to the part we don't want to hear...   What if we pray, we work the system, we confront and they are still there?  One thing we have to consider is this...  What if God has them there?

WHAT?!!  Why would a loving God want us subject to harsh and evil authority?  Why would God allow us to be under authority that is difficult, and not remove them after we prayed for His will to be done?   That is the key.  His Will.  Sometimes we think we know the will of God, it is supposed to be happy, joyous and profitable.  But what if God is using a bad authority to cause us to seek Him and turn from our bad habits and ways?  What if this land has gotten far from God and the only way He can get our attention is to have us being led by someone who will basically MAKE us pray?  That is what He did with the children of Israel.  The rotation in life for them was this… 

God blessed them, they were happy.

They forgot God and forgot His word- walked in their own ways... so,

God judged them and they suffered because of it.... then

They Repented and God blessed them…. They were happy… continued at the top...

All through the Old Testament, that is what we see with God's chosen people.   One thing we can learn about this is to be content and honor God no matter who is in office.  Be sure you are seeking God and obeying His word.  God will individually bless you even though the country may be in disarray!

CONCLUSION:

Yes God’s word works today when we talk about authority.  The problem is not the word of God, it is the hearts of men.  The problem is that we would rather get a temporary fix that helps our finances, or our freedom instead of seeking something or someone that will rule in a godly manner.  The bigger issue with authority is our hearts towards people that we disagree with.  Anyone can be a target, but those in authority show us our hearts. 

Join us next week as we ask if the word of God is relevant when it comes to training up our children!