Children, always obey your parents. This is pleasing to the Lord . . . . It is Christ, your real master, whom you are serving.
Colossians 3:20, 24
Do you think that God speaks to other people besides you? Do you think that God is in control? If you said yes, then why do you argue when people in authority tell you to do something you don’t want to do?
Scripture is clear that you are to obey the authority in your life. If you were in a court of law arguing a case and when the opposition stood up to present their side, you stood up and started screaming, “That’s not fair! He’s wrong! He’s wrong!” what do you think the judge would do? He would bang his gavel and say, “Order in the court!” And if you wouldn’t shut up and respect the opposition, you would be held in contempt of court. So why would you stand in such contempt in God’s court of your life? Why do you argue with your parents when God has put them in authority over you?
Living well under authority is just as much a command on your life as loving God and serving others. You can’t cherry-pick his commands, choosing only the ones that suit you. You have to obey God at every turn, and respectfully obeying the authority in your life is part of his commands.
Living under authority is also a chance to trust God. You have to believe that God can fix any situation, that he is always in control, and that he does talk to other people besides you. No matter how much you disagree with your parents, you have to agree with God by respecting the authority he has given them. If you’ve struggled with this in the past, now’s your chance to turn things around. Instead of fighting, pray and obey. Talk to God about the situation, trust him to bring about a good solution, and then move forward with obedience.