Respecting Authority

Isaiah 13: ¹¹ I will punish the world for its evil,
    the wicked for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty
    and will humble the pride of the ruthless.

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 By my calculations, it was time for the person at the top of the department to go. I received numerous votes from very high up people and I felt pretty secure in my resolve. I spoke pretty poorly about the head of the department, saying the ideas were not in the best interest of the company. He fought back and I lost my buy in from other departments.

• Sometimes I am the one who is arrogant.
• Sometimes I am the one who is acting wicked.
• Sometimes I am the one who carries pride and is ruthless.

Blind to the battle, I fought fearlessly as long as I had people to hide behind, but once exposed, I was alone and humbled. My haughtiness was no longer accepted as pleasing to the LORD.

• GOD wants me strong yet humble.
• GOD wants me confident and respectful.
• GOD wants me to stand up for myself without tearing someone down.

Many times I have found myself on the wrong side of GOD. I mean when I examined my actions I realized that “I” was the problem, not them. I had not respected the authority of the department head, nor GOD. I felt I could say anything anyway I wanted to, instead of carefully choosing my words lacing them with respect while telling the truth. GOD wants me to speak to HIM and others with respect and honor.

• Are you speaking to people without respect?
• Do you try to prove your value rather than showing honor to those in authority?
• Can you humble yourself while remaining confident in your abilities?