Proverbs 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn
Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” This verse is self-evident. It is obviously true. When there is a righteous ruler, people rejoice. When there is someone wicked ruling, the people mourn. Who or what kind of person does this make you think of? We don’t have a king in our day, so you probably think about the president or leaders in Washington D.C. Maybe you think about your boss at work or your marriage, but do you ever think about yourself? Every one of us is in some kind of authority. Even a ten-year-old kid may have authority with his siblings delegated to him by his parents. We all have influence and most of us are in a chain of command. We may be receiving orders, but, likewise, we are giving them.
So, are you a victim? Are you without any recourse? Do you have any choice in responsibility, or will you just complain and make excuses for what you are doing because you have a lousy boss, a bad ruler? What of your authority? What do you author? What do you authorize and accept from other people? You see, rules and rulers matter, but what can I do about it?
There are at least three things you can do. First, govern yourself. “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.” What if you are not the president, a king, or in Congress? Well, begin by governing yourself. Proverbs 25:28 says, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” In Bible times, a city without walls was scarcely even considered a city because it could not maintain its sovereignty. It could be attacked at any moment. Likewise, a person who has no rule over his own spirit is subject to his own whims, fancies, and passions. He needs to be governed himself. So, govern yourself.
In I Timothy 3 it says that a bishop, a pastor or overseer, must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach, and it goes on. These are basic areas of responsibility. If you want to lead people in God’s house, begin by taking care of the people in your house. Verses 4-5 say, “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)” We begin by governing ourselves.
The Bible goes on to say, “Not a novice.” A friend and I were joking about the fact that when a lot of churches are looking for a new pastor, they want someone just out of college who is young with vitality, but they also want a young preacher with a lot of experience. I am exaggerating a little bit, but that does seem like what everyone wants. Doesn’t everyone who is a pastor have a first day, a time to be new and young at some point? Yes. But, does he have to be a complete newbie, a novice, untested? No, the Bible says he should not be a novice. How can you ever begin as a pastor if you are not a novice? You begin by training for leadership and service in your own house. In other words, learn to govern yourself.
Second, leverage the chain. All of us are in a chain of command. What if the king, president, or boss is not a great leader? Well, leverage the chain of authority. The more authority you are under, the more weight you carry. When a dad or mom feels like one of their kids is not giving them respect, as a parent you can’t roll over because you are responsible to God to lead and guide your children. However, sometimes the best way to respond to someone who is rebelling your authority is to show your own submission to your authority.
The more authority you are under, the more weight you carry. Here is a boy, and dad says, “Tell your older brother to come in to supper.” The boy goes to the backyard, cups his hands to his mouth and yells, “Hey, garkface, get in here for supper. Dad said to hurry.” What is going to happen? Probably that older brother is going to pound his kid brother. But what if the younger brother goes out and says, “Hey, dad told me to ask you to come in to supper.” If the brother refuses to obey in that situation, he is not disobeying a younger brother; he is disobeying a dad. In that case, the younger brother is leveraging the chain of command.
Finally, influence people for good and for God. Proverbs 29:4-5 warn against bribery and flattery. Both are things that can be used on selfish people to keep them from governing as they should. In Proverbs 31 we learn that even a king can fall to his vices and can learn from his mother. In Proverbs 31 we read of a mother who influenced kings and kingdoms just by using the influence she had where she was.
I can’t change all the bad authorities in my world, but I can ask God to help me to be the kind of authority I should be, to govern myself, to leverage the chain of command, and to influence others for good and for God.