Respecting Earthly Authority
Parents, have you ever had your children ask you about politics? What’s going on on the news? What’s going on in yard signs? Who does God tell us to obey, and why should we obey them?
When we think about politics, we have to go to this idea of authority. In fact, Romans 13 talks about how government is actually a minister on God’s behalf. And one of the things that God gives to government is legitimate authority. And authority is not bad.
God gives different types of authorities for different reasons. He gives us, individually, the conscience as an authority. He gives us parents as an authority. And then one of those other authorities that God gives is the law, the government. Therefore, it’s for our good to act as a safeguard for us to act reasonably within society.
What Do I Say When . . . ?
Andrew T. Walker, Christian Walker
In a world filled with cultural confusion, this book provides busy Christian parents with quick and trustworthy answers to questions their children may ask about life’s toughest topics, including abortion, sexuality, technology, political engagement, and more.
When we step outside, when we get in a car, we need to be able to reasonably trust that our interactions in society will be peaceful, and that is going to be administered through the reality of law and government. If we don’t have government, what results is what happened in the book of Judges: everyone did what was right in their own eyes—which is chaos, anarchy, relativism.
And there are always going to be prudential debates about what types of laws the government should pass. We can have those debates, but what we should affirm is that government is good. It is there for our welfare. It’s there to make sure that every single individual in society is protected under the law, that criminals and evil-doers are penalized, and that all of the various elements in society are able to cooperate and work together for the common good of society.
And when you’re talking to children about politics, first, you need to make sure that they understand that God is actually in charge of everything. He is in charge of everything that’s happening here on earth and in heaven. He’s ultimately the King and ruler. And while we’re here on earth, waiting for him to come back and make a new heaven and a new earth, he’s given us the charge that we are to obey our earthly rulers.
You, first, be a good example of talking about our earthly leaders with kindness and respect.
The government is actually a really good thing. It provides laws and policies that help protect its citizens. It helps to allow individuals to thrive. It helps to help our neighbors to be cared for. It helps communities to prosper, and that’s all called “the common good.” And God tells us to love our neighbor. And so if we are to love our neighbor, then we should care about those policies and laws, and we should care about what the government is doing to help those around us. So we should get involved in our local government. We should care about what’s happening in the communities around us.
If you’re a parent, you should take your small children with you to vote. You should allow them to watch the things that are going on on the television. Talk about the yard signs that you see. Help them to get involved in what’s going on in your neighborhood. If you have a child that’s eighteen, help them to register to vote. Help them to know what’s happening in the civics around you. Help your children to care about the politics that are happening in your world, and help them to be kind to the leaders in our world today by talking about them respectfully, even if you don’t agree with their policies and their politics. You, first, be a good example of talking about our earthly leaders with kindness and respect.
Parents, be a good example, first and foremost, by being involved in politics and by being respectful of our leaders. And also be a good example of helping them to get involved themselves. God wants us to honor the government, so parents have the responsibility to be a good model first at home.
Andrew T. Walker and Christian Walker are the authors of What Do I Say When . . . ?: A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children and Teens.
Andrew T. Walker (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of Christian ethics and public theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and an associate dean in the School of Theology. He is a fellow with the Ethics and Public Policy Center and managing editor of WORLD Opinions. He resides with his wife and three daughters in Louisville, Kentucky.
Christian Walker is an accomplished curriculum writer and educator with experience both directing a large children’s ministry in a local church setting as well as spending numerous years in elementary education. She is a teacher at a classical Christian school in Louisville, Kentucky. She resides with her husband and three daughters in Louisville, Kentucky.
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