Honoring Authority within God’s Big Picture (Part 2):God Frames Ever-Changing Hues along the Path Toward Honoring Him

Sometimes
on a hike or long drive we notice changes in the landscape. Lush. Dry. Wooded. Massive.
Rocky. Beautiful. Meh. (That last one is for the younger readers. 😊) These changes typically occur
gradually, but sometimes the transitions are abrupt.

We
experience similar changes as we journey along the path God painted into our
landscapes. From frame to frame, varied backgrounds transform the scenery and our
circumstances change. Sometimes these adjustments are difficult. Sometimes they
take us by surprise.

This is how it was for David as a
young man, and even as a king. God painted his path with ever-changing hues. In
faith, David navigated the terrain, no matter how long, no matter how
difficult.

[This is post 2 of a 3-part series on honoring our authorities within God’s big picture. Read post 1 here.]

God’s big picture makes perfect sense
to God, of course, but often not to us because we view it frame by frame. We
don’t always get to see around the corner, but we can follow the turn and honor
God in the process.

In Part 1, we saw how David honored
his authorities as if he was honoring God. We learned that God painted our
authorities onto the canvas of life. God placed the figures where He wanted
them to be. Parents, teachers, pastors, employers, government officials, and governments
themselves are part of the long list of authorities God has painted into our
lives.

Yes, this list includes people
who aren’t looking out for us and those who may even oppose us. If you’re like
me, for such people, respect is not
really the verb you’d invoke.

But I did invoke the right verb some
time ago. I emceed a retirement party for someone I didn’t particularly want to
respect, but honor won over the disdain I bottled inside. When asked by a
friend how I was able to do that, I answered, “It was about him, not me. I kept
telling myself the purpose of the party was to honor him.”

I wish I could say that’s always my
approach. It’s not. And when my authorities take back their promises, pull the
rug out from under me, or even oppose me, honor is really hard to muster. Similar adversity visited David, too. Here are a couple of things we can learn from how he
responded.

1. The more we admire God’s
landscape, the more we adjust to changing arrangements.

David certainly had his share of
unfavorable circumstances. When our situations take a turn for the worst, how
do we respond? We like to walk away, don’t we?

• When traffic backs up, some of us
  make our own lanes in the shoulders.

• If our work situation degrades, we
  look for another job.

• If marriage isn’t working out, we
  might divorce or look elsewhere to fill the voids.

We can’t
avoid the fact that sometimes, our agreements morph into something unfavorable. The paintings change and our lives are no longer picture
perfect. God sometimes paints rocky landscapes.

New challenges, even very difficult
ones, are a normal part of God’s big picture.

If we want to respond as David
did,

we who follow and honor God

must continue to honor Him and

honor any
agreements we made

until those agreements change.

The bottom line is that our
agreements are not as much a contract with the other parties as they are with
God Himself (who keeps His promises to us). (See Hebrews 6:13-20.)

When we truly understand that God
appoints our authorities, we honor our agreements with them, even when our
agreements later become unfavorable.

David experienced difficulties, but
he didn't run from his commitments. Of course, he ran from King Saul to save
his life, but he stuck around at first to see if the relationship would resolve
(1 Samuel 18:10-11, 19:1-10). It’s important to understand that, when he did
run, David didn’t break his agreement with Saul. Saul, himself, terminated their
agreement when he purposed to kill him.

David honored his agreement because
he honored God. Even when his situation became unfavorable, he continued to do
what was right: to endure difficulty after difficulty without running away. David
met each situation with a drive that ironically improved his circumstances –
each small success after another. He acquired weapons, assembled an army,
secured allies, conquered nations, and gained the loyalty of the people of
Israel during his 22-year journey to royalty. (Read about it in 1 Samuel 21-31 and 2 Samuel 1:1-5:4.) David saw only frame by frame, but he knew God painted a bigger,
awe-inspiring, picture.

Another valuable truth we can learn
from David regarding unwelcome changes:

2. The more we appreciate God’s
design, the more we accept personal injustice.

As the man who defeated the
Philistine giant Goliath, David was promised riches, Saul’s daughter as his
wife, and an elevated social status for his family. He was to enjoy a life of
royalty (1 Samuel 17:25). But the opposite very quickly became his reality.
Saul grew jealous of David’s success and popularity, and of the fact that he
was anointed as the future King of Israel. His riches were replaced with a
death sentence, and Saul offered his daughter in marriage only as a ploy to
send David to the dangers of battle as often as possible. And the daughter Saul gave him to marry wasn’t even the daughter he’d
promised.

But how did David respond?

He continued to honor and serve
Saul. His respect for King Saul didn’t falter because he knew Saul’s kingship
was part of God’s design.

o      How do we respond when our superiors change their plans?

o      How do we respond when we realize those who hold the power
made false promises just to get our approval?

o      How do we respond when an organization that is supposed to
protect us doesn’t believe our story?

o      How do we respond when a parent apologizes, yet commits the
same offense over and over again?

If you’re like me, we often lash
back because we don’t think it's right.

Sometime after David’s story, Rehoboam,
King of Judah, was ready to retaliate against Jeroboam, King of the remainder
of Israel (1 Kings 12). Jeroboam was a harsh and unfair king who succeeded
David’s son, Solomon. He killed one of Rehoboam’s leaders, so Rehoboam readied
180,000 soldiers to go to war against him. But God sent Shemaiah with a message
to stop him. He told Rehoboam that He, God, was responsible for Israel’s
division – for dividing His favored family and for the unfair situation under
King Jeroboam. Allow me to say it differently:

God chose to have Israel
endure unjust circumstances.

Does it seem right when God puts us
in unjust situations? Well, it certainly doesn’t feel right. But God has
a bigger plan and it doesn’t always match our preferences. Whichever
direction our next steps take us, God wants us to maintain respect for
our authorities and for Him, just as David did. (For a glimpse into the
unrest between Judah and the rest of Israel, read 1 Kings 11.)

So, when our superiors, or even our
equals, disrupt our lives, maybe running away can be a last resort. Maybe it’s
better, and more God-honoring, to remain committed to those who depend on us,
no matter how hard it gets, even when they are the antagonists.

We must
stand fast to honor God, and when

we accept unfavorable situations as a part of
His bigger picture,

God might soon consider us to be people after His own
heart.

———- (additional reading) ———-

A word about getting out of a bad situation…

It’s okay to get out of a bad
situation, we just need to retreat in a God-honoring way.

Friends, we face real issues and I
know sometimes we find ourselves so steeped in problems, that escape seems to be
our only option. As much as I stress sticking it through, we don’t always need
to remain in a bad situation. Sometimes our circumstances are detrimental and
counter God’s plan for us. Sometimes they are even life-threatening.

As I write, I am praying for those
of you in situations like that. God is faithful and sees your suffering and
tears. He has reasons for this phase in your life, and as you rely on Him in
faith, He promises relief. He will renew you and lead you along safe and
God-honoring paths. There will be greener grass when you follow Him through
dark times (Psalm 23). This is the God
we love and serve.

David escaped. He didn’t stand still
to receive Saul’s deadly blows. He dodged, he battled, and he fled. But he
didn’t retaliate. He honored King Saul and remained in his subordinate position
until he, with the help of his dear friend Jonathan, was certain that Saul
changed his mind about him. He didn’t flee until he was sure Saul considered
him his enemy instead of his favored musician. David stayed in and around
Saul’s palace in the hopes that things would work out, but eventually he
realized that, to honor God and His plan, he needed to flee. (See 1 Samuel 20.)

Every situation has its nuances, so
I can’t offer a checklist that indicates if and when to escape. But I do know
that every step includes choices – choices to honor God and the
relationships He’s ordained for us, or to ignore Him and His big picture.
So, if we get out, we need to honor God in the process. Our relationship with
Him matters.

———- (end additional reading) ———- 

If you have questions about honor and our authorities, or if you want to know more about living for Jesus and what it means to be a child of God, please email me at authordlv@att.net.

Read more blog posts here.

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