Giving What You Owe

Abide Devotion on Romans 13:1-14

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. ⁴ For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

⁶ This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷ Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

⁸ Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. ^[1]

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What struck me in today’s passage is what Paul says in verse 7 about giving to everyone what they are owed. Whether its taxes to the government, respect to those in authority, or love to all, give what is owed. As Christians we seek to fulfill our obligation to be a blessing to those around us.

One of my pet peeves these days is the overuse of the expression “Get the __________ that you deserve!   Just note how many times in ads and commercials that expression or some variation of it comes up. For some reason, I have been deprived of the hair, skin, insurance coverage, mortgage rates, carpet cleaning, customer service and pet products that I deserve! I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve them, but someone has been depriving me! Life is unfair! I am not receiving what I am owed!

This expression promotes a self-centered sense of entitlement and, at its worse, depicts a kind of weird victimization.

Paul calls us to a completely different mindset. Instead of focusing on what I am owed, I am to seek to be a blessing to others, giving to them what I owe them. And what do I owe all people? Love. Respect. Compassion. Honor. Why? Paul calls us to live other-focused lives, rather than a self-focused entitlement fixation.

In this way my life comes to resemble more and more the life of Christ, which He would live in and through me.

So my prayer today is that I would give to all around me what I owe them in terms of love and honor and respect. I pray that Christ would lead me away from self-centeredness, and into a life which incarnates His love for all.

 

What is the Word leading you to pray about today?

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^[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 13:1–14). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.