Authority is rarely a popular subject.
Most of us naturally resist being told what to do. Add our culture’s emphasis on personal rights, independence, and self-rule, and submission can begin to sound weak, outdated, or even dangerous.
And it is true that authority can be abused.
But does the misuse of authority cancel God’s design for it? Are Christians free to disregard parents, husbands, pastors, employers, police officers, or government leaders whenever we believe they are wrong?
Romans 13 gives us a clear but challenging answer. God is a God of order, and He has established human authority for our good. Yet no human authority is absolute. Every leader remains under God’s authority, and there are times when believers must respectfully refuse to obey.
So what does biblical submission look like? Where are its limits? And what does our response to authority reveal about the true focus of our worship?
Today’s readings challenge us to examine whether we are living under God’s authority—or quietly insisting on our own autonomy.
