SCRIPTURE:
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”
Titus 3:1
OBSERVATION:
Do you love your boss? In life, we usually here the opposite remark from people about how they dislike their boss. In fact, it’s one of the most common statements made usually connected to disliking one’s job. Titus 3:1 hits this nail right on the head about the need to submit to authority; plus with a heart of doing good, not “talking stink” when things don’t go our way and to show consideration and humility to one another … or simply put … respect and honor. The two greatest commandments are to love your God and love thy neighbor. It seems that often as believers in Christ, we get the first one right, but fail to get it right with the second one. We often see people who truly love Christ, worship Christ and serve Christ; but forget to love thy neighbor and in fact have disdain toward others, even fellow Christians. This one scripture goes so deep in reminding us of the need to love thy neighbor, especially if our neighbor is our leader or boss that often has to pass on to us decisions and policies that we will not agree with. Yet, if we are able to follow the word in a desire to do good, and in obedience submit to authority with a heart to love our neighbor, then perhaps we will see the love of Christ manifested amongst one another and therefor limit conflict and quarrels that can blow up in times of stress and challenge.
APPLICATION:
This is a great reminder to me to search my heart in how we respond to leadership in a desire to support what we are being asked to do, and how we respond in thought and words if we are not in agreement. Furthermore, it prompts me to take an account of my feelings toward others whose characters and actions don’t line up with my expectations of them, or those that tweak or offend me. What is my heart towards them and do I cease the opportunities to slander them to others, often times in a pseudo review of brotherly concern, yet in reality simple slander? Are there people right now that I harbor ill feelings toward, or have I made comments that have slandered them, especially in ministry and as a leader? Thus, am I good on the first commandment of loving God, but guilty in the second commandment of not loving my neighbor? If I am to stand on the character of being a man of God and leader in ministry, I know that I have to stand and act on both commandments, less I be a hypocrite.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, thank you for cutting right to my heart on whom I am as a man of God and leader in ministry. May I not only know your word and two greatest commandments, but may I embrace and live out your commandments in loving you, and loving my neighbor my submitting to authority, and respecting and honoring my peers, associates and friends.
