SUM 11: Day 35

Romans 13:1-10

Lead those you have influence with! All authority is from God. When I was a kid, I went to church a lot. My dad was a pastor, so every time the door was open, we were there. Pretty much all that time. I hated Sunday School. If you don’t know what Sunday School is, allow me to explain it. Sunday School is a time when adults try to teach you about the Bible and why you should not be drinking, partying, watching Rated R movies or pretty much having any fun. Sunday mornings always seemed like such a drag.

My sophomore year, however, was a little different. That year, my Sunday School teacher was a guy named Eric. Eric was different than any of the teachers I had in the past. He was a young, single lawyer with a sweet pad and sweet wheels. He taught us the Bible in a way that made it come alive. Really, for the fi rst time, the Bible was more than a collection of memory verses. He taught me about historical context and that the Bible was not full of foolish, 1st Century weirdoes; instead, it was full of businessmen, athletes and blue collar workers. At times, it was as crazy as a Springer episode. Eric did not do this because he was being paid or to win applause.

Rather, he invested into the lives of eight sophomores because God had given him authority, and he wanted to be a good steward of it. Not only does God put others in positions of authority over us, but, also, at many times, He puts us in positions of authority over others. The Bible is clear we 1) Should respect those in authority over us and 2) We should be worthy of respect if we are in authority. Eric was worthy of respect, and we loved him. To this day, all of the guys in my class are serving the Lord in our respective fields and making a difference for the Kingdom.

Pray: God, help me to respect those in authority and to be worthy of respect
to those who I have authority over.

Do: Find someone who is in authority over you and tell them you appreciate them and
their efforts in leading.