Leaders in the Church and Society
Read 1 Timothy 2:1-4 NIV
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
With an election just a few weeks away, it sometimes feels like the whole United States has gone a little crazy. People have forgotten how to have civil conversations – and, listen to each other…what’s that?! There is no doubt that we are all feeling the tension and division of differing opinions and political leanings in our families, in our workplaces, and with our friends.
But as people who desire to be apprentices of Jesus, how are we supposed to handle all that tension – especially since there is a good chance that we might disagree with those around us? Are we supposed to stick our fingers in our ears and cry “la, la, la…I can’t hear you!”, fight like mad to make what we believe known, or are we supposed to set aside what we believe so that we can keep the peace? Or is there another option?
Our verses today suggest something else – prayer. It sounds simple – but maybe there is more to it than what we might first discern. At the time that Paul wrote these words, Christians faced some of the worst opposition from the Roman government. They were despised, hunted, tortured, and killed in unthinkable ways. It was ruthless! Yet Paul says to ‘pray for those in authority’. I don’t think praying for their demise is what Paul had in mind either, because Paul knew that everyone needs Jesus – everyone needs to be saved. Including those who we might think don’t deserve it.
So, how do we pray for the leaders in our society and for those who have authority over us in general? Do we just pray for the ones we like and forget the rest? I don’t think that is what Paul had in mind either, remember everybody needs Jesus.
Instead, we pray that, in this season, God would give us wisdom to listen and speak in ways that honor Jesus. We pray honestly that whoever is elected would be given wisdom to govern and that they would do so with honesty and integrity. We pray that those in authority over us are granted wisdom and compassion and that they would seek to lead in humility and kindness. We pray that God would get ahold of the hearts of our elected officials and those in authority and that they might experience Christ for themselves. We pray that God would use us so that He might be seen in our world despite the ways we are divided to bring peace, unity, and understanding.
As you pray, in light of your desire to follow Jesus as His apprentice ask yourself these questions:
In what ways have I contributed to division and discontent in my relationships or with those who hold places of authority in my life?
How can I support those in leadership over me?
How can I help others to listen to each other with the intent to understand instead of just making their own thoughts known?
