Accountability is not a 4 Letter Word by AChuckALLEN
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. – Romans 13:1
I was a ninth grader that had the privilege of starting on my high school football team. My coach, Bobby Johnson gave me a high honor of stepping into the role as our long snapper. I played in the day when you never came off the field. I played linebacker on defense, a fullback on offense and was the long snapper for punts and extra points.
I was given instructions from Coach Johnson that I received as if it were a gentle suggestion. Just in case you are wondering, nothing was subtle about Bobby Johnson. I took it upon my 15-year-old self to do the exact opposite of his instruction. It seemed so right to me at the time. Needless to say, it was a disaster and I ran the steps of the stadium until I threw my guts up. Being accountable includes obeying your superiors.
I’ve also had plenty of opportunities to follow the direction of the Divine, gone the opposite direction and had, you guessed it, disastrous results.
Authority figures can be really hard to respect at times. Your dad might drive you nuts, your mom might not get how incredibly cool you are. Your teachers and coaches might come down on you pretty hard, or maybe you just feel like the folks in authority over you just don’t deserve your respect because of something they did. Maybe they seem out of touch. But the Scriptures give us no pass on accountability.
Following direction and being under authority isn’t for the faint of heart. It can be one of the hardest things you do. It takes character, grit and a lot of positive attitude adjustments to respect those you are accountable to. But, we’re challenged in today’s Scripture to respect and be accountable to those in authority over us. The Scriptures never tell us to respect those who get you or those who really seem worthy of your respect. It tells us to respect those in positions of authority. Period!
Respect means not trashing them behind their back. Respect means choosing to display a good attitude even when you don’t understand or agree with a decision or order. Respect means responding to those over you with the Divine’s love, whether you think that they deserve it or not.
Push yourself to speak well of those in authority over you. Choose, with great intentionality to love them, even when they feel unloveable. Choose to be a person of character and respect the people in authority over you.
When you do, you will discover that God will bless you in a way that makes no sense in your humanity, but perfect sense in God’s divinity.
–AChuck
