obedient

What do you do about a government you don’t like? That’s a pertinent question for many people today, and Paul seems to address it in Titus 3:1: “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient . . . .” That’s pretty straightforward, it seems. There are times, of course, when civil disobedience is appropriate but we have to recognize that if we’re disobedient just out of dislike, we might disappoint God.

Maybe more pertinent: what do we do about all those other stupid people who feel differently about the government than we do? Paul seems to speak to that in verse 2: “. . . to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.”

Does that sound like the Facebook and Twitter you know? Does that sound like the statements of our celebrities and sports stars? Does that sound like our conservative commentators and liberal counter-voices? Or are the people you most admire, the ones who mic-drop the best, who shut others down, the opposite of peaceable and considerate and gentle? Do you cheer the slanders they make against people you don’t like? Do you join in?

Here’s why it matters, from verses 3-5: “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”

People who behave like that, Paul says, only do it because they haven’t experienced God’s grace and mercy. They’re still foolish and disobedient, deceived and enslaved by the Father of Lies, who has plenty of people sharing and retweeting his lies these days. They’re the puppets of their passions. That’s where all the malice and hate come from.

But that’s not us. Christ-followers know better. We’re nice, especially to our enemies. Aren’t we?