Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  Matthew 28:18

“You can’t tell me what to do!” It’s the cry of our culture that is so bent on flying solo. The last thing we want is to be held accountable to someone else or have to report to someone in a position above us. Submission and subordination are two things we avoid rather than accept. To put it simply, we all have issues with authority.  But in our quest to call the shots, we forget that God is the one who created authority. And it is His authority that ultimately gives us the freedom we so desperately seek.  Despite our issues, God has designed authority for our good. It provides protection, maturity and uniqueness in every area of our lives. But without a true understanding of the authority structures in our lives, we fail to realize all that God has in store for us.  As we come to a basic understanding of God’s authority, we will learn what it means to get under what God has put over us. And we will discover the great things that happen when we get over what God has put under us.

Dear God, I understand that You have the ultimate authority over my life, but I need help in understanding exactly what that means. I also need help with identifying the other positions of authority that You have placed in my life. Please open my heart to be receptive to the instruction and direction of others, and help me identify and correct my authority issues. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.