Honour in a Dishonourable World
Romans 13:6-7 And this is why you pay taxes too. Those rulers are working for God, and they give all their time to the work of ruling. Give everyone what you owe them. If you owe them any kind of tax, then pay it. Show respect to those you should respect. And show honour to those you should honour.
Have you ever looked at your tax bill on the one hand and the newspaper on the other and thought, Really? This is what my hard-earned money is paying for?
For some, taxes fund good things – hospitals, schools and the like. Elsewhere, they line the pockets of corrupt leaders or bankroll some seriously evil things. It’s a wide spectrum.
So what do you do when obeying the law clashes with your conscience? When you’re forced to support what you know is wrong?
Imagine a soldier under orders from an officer he doesn’t respect. The mission’s pointless. Yet he still salutes – not because he trusts the man, but because he respects the uniform and the authority behind it.
That sort of discipline points to something higher – loyalty, order, and the belief that chaos destroys. The Apostle Paul wrote these words to Christians living under the brutal Roman Empire – hardly a model of justice:
Romans 13:6-7 And this is why you pay taxes too. Those rulers are working for God, and they give all their time to the work of ruling. Give everyone what you owe them. If you owe them any kind of tax, then pay it. Show respect to those you should respect. And show honour to those you should honour.
Paul wasn’t endorsing tyranny; he was reminding them that God’s sovereignty stands above human corruption. We honour Him when we act with integrity – even when others don’t.
Paying what’s due, showing respect where it’s difficult – those are acts of faith that declare: My trust isn’t in the world’s imperfect systems. It’s in the King above every king – Jesus Christ.
So if you owe any kind of tax, then pay it.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Blessed by this devotion?
Share it with a friend!
Respond