Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
It is a fact. God Places people into power and authority over us. Whether we believe in their policies, their ethics, or their causes, God has an eternal plan. In the book of Daniel, He places Nebecanezzar as king. It was no surprise to God when he was able to take over the people of Isreale. Most would see one of only two options: one being to fight, to resist. The second would be to give in. To convert their way of living to the way the Babylonians did things. But Daniel saw a different way. He chose to hold his faith in his God and his people, while submitting to the authority that was placed over him.
Sometimes we find it hard to just fall under our bosses, teachers, or pastors. We could come up with reasons why not to trust them. Reasons why not to follow their lead, but that does not change the fact that we are called to serve. As part of a functioning body, it is our job to support the head no matter what. When we put our own selfish desires sown, when we allow the Holy Spirit to cover us, giving us protection and a "God" perspective, the friction we might have had between ourselves and our leaders are now relieved. It acts as the oil that lubricates the cogs and gears that make the body a functioning organism.
When Daniel decided to trust God's plan, not forgetting where his allegiance was, he was able to see! God let him stand out among those who the king trusted, giving him reigns to help make important decisions for the Kingdom.
Ps. Phil Pringle has said that "You serve high (God) by serving low (your leaders)". Your immediate leader is serving your associate pastors, who are serving the senior pastors, who are serving global leaders, who are all serving Christ together. When we step back and allow our vision to grow, when we stretch our capacities to see past our own agendas, we in-turn grow our perception. When we have a better perception of God's larger plan, it makes serving "small", so much BIGGER.
