When our eleven children were young I can remember saying to them individually and collectively something like this: There will be no argument! You do what I say because I am the boss. You must do what I tell you to do, period. No discussion! Just do what I told you and do it now! That is an example of how I voiced and put into action my fatherly authority. We often use the word authority without really thinking about what it means. Like all words, this word has a surface meaning, like the tip of an iceberg. But, actually, it has a much larger and more powerful, detailed, far-reaching and deeper meaning. There is a meaning that is hidden below the surface of our initial, off-hand understanding of what the simple word: authority means to us. For example, the dictionary meaning of the word authority is: one who is an expert, is right or has the final say, the one whose responsibility is to be relied upon, or a person with the power to influence, and finally, a person we recognize, with respect, to be in an obviously official position. Examples: an umpire. a president, a judge, a police officer. In addition, here is how we can expand our understanding of the word authority a bit more. We know what it means when someone with authority wields that power and authorizes something by making a judgment, signing into law or writing a traffic ticket. To say it another way, when something or someone is authorized, by a recognized authority, it means permission or official approval for some action or way of behaving has been unquestionably assigned and there will be no questioning. Of course, the root word of authority is: author. An author is one who is a creator. one who has authorship, such as a writer of a book or article. From a Christian perspective, we know God is the author, the creator of everything we see and know. He is the one who wrote the book - the Bible with its many helpful accounts of the way God, the author of all creation, explains both his and our purpose in the world. We accept his authority on faith. Naturally, there are many times when we dont understand Gods thinking nor his purposes, but because of our faith in him we stand firm and profess to all our trusting conviction that no matter what happens God rules! Terry Weber
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