Digging in Deeper: Romans 13:1

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“Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Many of the things we find in the Scriptures are fairly light and easy. The teachings in the New Testament are mostly straightforward and encouraging. But occasionally you find something that is both hard and controversial. You find something that, depending on the season, some people will support and others will hate, only to find them switching sides when the season changes. As we get into Romans 13 today, we find just such a passage. Paul starts talking politics…in a book about religion. How much worse could it get? Let’s put on our thinking caps and steel-toed boots and find out.

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Morning Musing: Psalm 111:10

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

One trip around the sun takes 365 and a quarter days. During that time, we all travel 584 million miles. Today, I’ve finally crossed the 25.1 billion miles. That makes 43 years feel like an exceptionally long time. But nonetheless, here I am. You would think after more than 25 billion miles around the sun, I’d have learned at least a thing or two. I probably haven’t learned as much as I should have, and some of what I have learned may not matter very much. But, for something a little different and maybe fun today, here are a few things I have learned.

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Morning Musing: Romans 12:21

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“Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Our culture has a fascination with evil. Through our stories we often wonder exactly what it is, how it works, what it can accomplish, where and how we experience it, and so on and so forth. While the various authors who contribute to the Scriptures do touch on the nature of evil from time to time, there’s a stronger theme across the narrative: as the people of a God who is good, we are to overcome evil. How? Paul tells us right here at the end of his list of characteristics of life in God’s kingdom. Let’s take a look.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 12:19-20

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“Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, ‘Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.’ But ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.’” (CSB – Read the chapter)

We’ve all been there. Someone comes along and does something that makes you mad. What’s more, they meant to do it. Now you are left with a choice: How are you going to respond? Do you get them back? Do you let it go? Do you express your displeasure in some unmistakable way? If we’re being honest, for most of us, our first instinct is to start plotting how we can get revenge in some way. That’s normal. It always has been. And if there’s no God, or if we can’t trust the gods to avenge us, that kind of thinking makes sense. But if there is a God as is revealed in the pages of the Scriptures, it doesn’t. Let’s talk about it.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 3:10-12

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“As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Family is hard. It’s hard in a lot of ways. It’s hard because you don’t get to pick your family. It’s hard because your family shapes who you are whether you want them to or not. It’s hard because you are stuck with your family. You can try to deny them, but those hooks are in deep. It’s hard because you love them and love makes you vulnerable. It opens you to wounds of the deepest sort. But family is good. Because of that love that can make it hard, family is where you can be received no matter what. Family gives you a home and a place of stability when the storms of the world blow. With family you know you can find support no matter how deep of a hole you’ve dug for yourself this time. The good of family outweighs the hard, and so you stick with family no matter what. A recent Disney live action remake of an animated classic offers a good reminder of this. Let’s talk about Lilo and Stitch.

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