Honor to Whom Honor || A Devotion

Hello, and welcome back to Life of Heritage Corner! It’s hard to believe we are entering yet another month! Where has the year gone??

Today I am sharing my newest devotional. As we all know, there has been much unrest in our nation of late, and today, I’m going to address one of the root issues. Note, I said one, not all. This devotion was laid on my heart after attending a Back the Blue Rally, and I am excited to share it with you! So without further ado, let’s get into it!

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour
Romans 13:1-7
(King James Bible)

I shouldn’t have to outline who this scripture is referring to. But these days, it seems we have to spell out everything. I want us to look at three things specifically. Who we are to Honor, Who we are NOT to Honor, and What to do when a Dishonorable Person holds an Honorable Office.
 
1| Who We Are to Honor.

The verses above instruct us to honor those in positions of power. Because HE is the One Who put them there! We are not to fear them as long as we are doing right and following God. Who are these people?

-The President. I don’t care who it is or what you think of Him, you are to honor and pray for him. He is your leader, like it or not. And as long as he is making righteous judgments, you are to obey them.

-Members of Congress. The same applies here.

-Military leaders and members, Border Patrol, and Law Enforcement. They are literally risking their lives for you! Be grateful!

-Ministers of the Gospel. A God-called Man. Not a woman, not a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Pastor, Assistant, Missionary, Evangelist, God calls us to honor them.

-Teachers. They are authorities, like it or not. Whether you are Homeschooled, private schooled, or use some other form of education, you are to respect those put over you.

-Parents. This goes without saying. Besides God, these are your ultimate authorities!

-Older Siblings. They are your elders. And if your parents have left them in charge, you are to obey them. And even if they don’t, they still are to be respected.

There are probably more, but I think you get the idea 😊
 
2| Who We are NOT to Honor.

-Those who disregard the word of God.

-Those who seek to hurt others for any reason.

-Those who shed innocent blood.

-Those who are prideful and haughty.

-Those who seek to do evil and take pleasure in the misfortunes of others.

-Those who seek to destroy their nation.

-Those who seek to throw down just government.

-Those who claim to fight for the rights of others while taking rights away from others.

-Those who use their position to abuse others.
 
3| What to do when a Dishonorable Person Holds a Position of Honor.

-Pray for them. (1 Tim. 2:1-4)

-Respect their office, not their character. A few years back, I really struggled with respecting an elected official who did nothing but attempt to destroy ever Biblical thing they could. I prayed for them and remembered that I am not called to respect their immoral behavior, just the position they held.

-Stand against sin. (Isaiah 1:17) Just because someone is in a position of authority does not mean that their actions should not be held accountable. When a politician does something unbiblical and unconstitutional, they should be impeached. When a policeman is found out to be a bad apple, he should be fired. If he committed a crime, he should be punished just like anyone else. When a preacher is disqualified from holding his office, he should be dismissed. When a government acts against God as a whole and seeks to harm the people in general and disregard the Bible and the Constitution, they should be overthrown (Ex. The Patriots and the Confederates).
 
I hope this devotion has been a help to you. I’m by no means calling for us to overthrow the government like some organizations I know. Thank God we haven’t reached that point yet! I’m merely explaining what conditions would merit such actions 😉 Above all, pray for your leaders and our nation!

Until Next Time,
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22