Daily Lesson for May 27, 2014

Today's Daily Lesson is from 1 Timothy verses 1 and 2:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 

On Sunday night our U.S. Congressman, Randy Neugebauer, attended our Memorial Service.  As I welcomed the congressman I was reminded that Scripture instructs us to pray for those in positions of authority and leadership.

We may or may not personally like our mayor, or our city councilmen, or state and congressional delegations, or our president.  But either way, they are our leaders, and the decisions they make will have a major impact on our lives and the lives of future generations.  Because of that we are enjoined to pray for them - to pray for wisdom and sound judgement, and a limitation on misjudgment, error and abuses of power.  We pray these things that we might have peace and prosperity in our country and world.

You may ask, well what about when we disagree with a leader and believe him or her to be arrogant and abusive in his or her leadership?  My response is to remind us that Paul's instruction to Timothy about praying for those in power likely came during the reign of the Emperor Nero, the madman who began the First Roman-Jewish War and burned the city of Rome so he could build a new palatial complex, blaming the fire on the Jews.  Paul told Timothy to pray for Nero precisely because Nero was so reckless and abusive.

There is a government official serving now who I have a lot of problems with.  I don't like what he says or what he does and I believe that if he had full reign he would do a lot of dangerous and destructive things.  Yet I pray for him.  I pray that God sends him wise counselors.  I pray he listens to them.  I pray he sees the consequences of his decisions. And I pray God limits the destructiveness of his abuses.  

I pray these things for his sake, and for the sake of those he governs and others affected by his decisions.  And, you know, I pray these things for my sake also.  It is the way I seek to live a peaceful, quiet, Godly and dignified life in my own spirit; and it is a lot better than cursing.