Thoughts on 1 Peter - Day 10

                                       1 Peter 2:13-17

 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ¹⁵ For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. ¹⁷ Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

                                          Matt. 17:25-27
“What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”
²⁶ “From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. ²⁷ “But so that we may not cause offense...

       
          I included the passage in Matthew because in it, Jesus is discipling Simon Peter and teaching him some principles about how aliens like us who are technically citizens of Heaven and under a different authority, should behave and treat the authorities down here. Now, in 1 Peter, Simon Peter is relaying to other citizens of Heaven what he learned from Jesus so they can live lives pleasing to the Lord. It says in the gospels that Jesus picked the 12 so that they might spend time with Him.

        This makes me think about my kids. I have 4 children and they are all following the Lord. I had 18 years to be with them - to spend time with them. What a blessing when I see or hear them teaching their kids or their students the things I taught them about the Lord and about how to live the Christian life. The two boys that are married and fathers both own guitars and know the limited number of chords that I do in order to sing to their kids praise songs to Jesus that they sang while growing up. Their kids watch Veggie Tales movies - the same things we showed them growing up. I remember sitting with them at the dinner table and reading from a devotion book that gave sticky situations that we as Christians get into and then we would discuss how to handle them. I remember our biggest fight was a situation where hypothetically you are at work and  you observe a fellow employee stealing from the company. What should you do? Wouldn't it be nice to ask Jesus those questions instead of Dad? Dad gives opinions, Jesus gives truth. Peter had that opportunity to hear truth and now he relays it to us. My kids had 18 years of my and my wife's accumulated wisdom as a basis to formulate their own opinions from a good starting point.

      How much of those 18 years was used training them in Godliness? Not nearly enough, but at least we did and the dividends have been tremendous. What are you training your kids in? Sports? Dance? School and education? Nature? All good things but not the best things. Do you want to see your kids walking in the truth? Do you want to see their kids walking in the truth? Be intentional. Spend time with them and instruct them in the kingdom of God. That's what Jesus did and those disciples changed the world.

        Lord, thank you for my kids. Thank you that they are following You. Help them to continue to pass the truth on to their kids intentionally and urgently. Amen