How to be a Good Citizen
To be a good citizen and get a good job, we’re told to obey the laws and pay your dues. But it can be frustrating. For instance, the good old government way includes so much red tape and bureaucracy. But what would we do without it? Let me tell you. Here’s what atheistic anarchy looks like.
“The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination and intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5).
That’s the condition of the world right before God destroyed the entire population of the earth with a flood in Noah’s generation. No government at all. No following after God except Noah and his family.
Different Ways to Govern
But then, things progressed a little further to atheistic unity at the Tower of Babel.
“Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’” (Genesis 11:4).
Now they unified to exalt man to a greater place of adoration and worship. God puts an end to that kind of thinking as well. Even believers have a hard time when there’s no government at all. No one pays their due.
Judges 21:25, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”
The whole book of Judges chronicles the cycles. Things would get better and then worse, back and forth, with no government or leadership, no organization or plan. It was a sort of a theistic anarchy.
Then, 1 Samuel 8:19-20, “The people refused to listen to Samuel. ‘No!’ they said. ‘We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations.’”
Sooner or later, people want some form of organization. Here’s what the Scriptures say.
God establishes governments and nations.
“He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning” (Daniel 2:21).
“The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:32b).
I’m sure every nation would like to justify their own form of government, to claim theirs is the biblical one. And the only governments Daniel knew about were dictatorships in the form of kings. But God establishes governments.
God guides governments to accomplish His own ultimate purpose.
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1).
We’re not surprised by that when we think about godly governments, for leaders trying to seek God’s will. When it’s easy to figure out how to be a good citizen and pay your dues. What’s amazing is to consider He’s guiding ungodly governments as well.
One hundred years before, prophets foretold Cyrus would be king of an ungodly country. He would set the people free of captivity to go into the promised land. The people couldn’t believe God would choose the Assyrians, a fierce and brutal nation, to do His work. However, all governments are in the hands of God.
President Lincoln & Heads of State
God sets the standard for good governments.
1 Peter 2:13-14, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”
God intended government to punish evil and praise good. That’s what government’s all about. So, the government we have and other human governments on earth have been designed by God. What’s our responsibility within our own country?
At times we feel like getting rid of any civil responsibility. And we can make this very spiritual. We may want to spend our efforts solely for the glory of God, we say, or advancing the church. And since government’s part of the world, we ignore it. But the Scriptures reveal we need to pay our dues toward our country. It’s our duty.
Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21b).
That is, we owe our country something. We’re to give to our leaders all that’s coming to them. We pay our dues. So, what is owed? Read Romans 13:1-7. Late in Paul’s ministry, he writes advice to these Christians living in the capitol of the Roman Empire.
Romans 13 Guidelines
First, we must be law-abiding citizens. We respect the laws of the land. And even go the extra mile. This is for our conscience’ sake and to avoid the consequence of wrath.
Second, we should pay our fair share. No one thoroughly enjoys paying taxes. In Jesus’ day, the whole process may have been simpler. No long forms or accountants to hire. You paid a flat rate or else suffered arrest and jail time. Taxes should be paid whether we agree with everything leaders do with the monies or not. For instance, I’m sure part of the taxes in Bible times were used to pay the salaries of the very soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross.
Third, honor all governmental leaders. Respect the office and honor the person. Leaders should be treated with dignity. We should use our freedom to disagree when needed, to make a stand. Support an alternate candidate or proposal. But we should avoid disparaging any governmental leader.
Paul writes Romans during the time of a Roman dictatorship, perhaps during the time of Nero. Not a man of high moral character nor a model of good behavior. Yet, Paul signals no disrespect in his writings.
Titus 3:1-2, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”
Civil Responsibility
Fourth, a Christian’s duty is to always be ready to do good. Be active in community service, whenever there’s a need. Offer your assistance, whether in leadership or shoveling mud out of a flooded home. Be prepared to get active.
Fifth, be tolerant. Malign no one. Make a stand but listen to other people’s opinions. Be careful not to assume we know everything and people we oppose know nothing. Pay attention to what others say. Don’t be reactionary. Instead, stop, listen, and consider. Respect the other person even when you totally disagree.
Sixth, be kind. Understand more than the letter of the law. Discern also its spirit and intention. Try to get a feel for why we do this. Don’t get hung up with legalism. If the law says, “Don’t ride bicycles on the sidewalk,” you figure to not ride tricycles either. To be kind is to understand the whole measure of the law.
Seventh, be gentle. Know when to be angry or not. That’s part of civic responsibility, paying public dues.
Finally, show consideration to every person. Be unprejudiced. Treat everybody the same. Show the same attention and love, no matter who they might be or where they align.
Why Bother with the Government?
Sometimes it’s not easy to be positive about the government. We struggle. But as Christians, we need to work towards that end. So, we hang in there and toe the line. But what good is that going to do? Why would God care we do this, especially to a government with which we don’t agree very often?
- We gain His peace.
We’ll also bring peace into our city when we obey God’s teaching.
Jeremiah 29:7, “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
We’ll also accomplish spiritual goals which God has given us. This is hard to do in a city, state, or country where there’s confusion and anarchy. We need peace in the land.
- By fulfilling our civil responsibility, we gain respect in the community.
1 Timothy 3:7, “He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”
It’s on the basis of being a responsible citizen that we can effectively protest and make changes.
Guidelines to Make Changes
Daniel 1:8, “Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”
Daniel and his friends had been exiled. Their captors wanted to train them because they seemed promising, capable young men. So, royal treatments and rich food were prepared for them. But what they chose violated Daniel’s conscience before God. He made up his mind to follow God and not the government’s law.
But he doesn’t immediately say, “No way. We’re not going to eat any of that stuff.” Instead, he appeals to his superior and says, “I need to have special permission because this violates my faith.” When the man over him voiced concern he wouldn’t look healthy enough and this might cost him his job and life, Daniel listened to the reasons that law had been enacted. Then, he presented an alternative. He asked that he and his friends be tested for ten days with his chosen diet. He didn’t undercut the commander’s authority.
“After ten days, compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food. Then you decide.”
In this incidence, staying within his civil responsibility gave him the platform for credulity before the community and to change the laws.
In our desire to be separate from the world, we must sometimes be creative in paying our civil dues. This is because government provides one of the tools for accomplishing God’s heavenly purposes.
STEPHEN BLY
Circa 1985
Civil Laws Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Follow the Rules Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Heads of State Discussing & Consulting Image by WikiImages from Pixabay
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