Musings Beyond Marriage #1: Professors

All of these revelations about submission and respect have had a huge impact on my life--even in spheres beyond the husband/wife relationship. 1 Peter 2 says that we should submit ourselves to EVERY human authority--every single one. That means parents, professors, teachers, pastors, husbands, the government.

Although every one of these authorities needs to be submitted to, the one that has impacted me most (beyond husbands) in my current stage of life has been professors. I get the feeling that we've lost respect for teachers in American society. A lot of parents side with their children in most matters these days. And, our individualist culture says that we shouldn't listen to what the teacher says unless we're convinced he or she knows more than we do. However, the Scriptures say nothing about respect being earned by those in authority. They simply command us to give respect. In other words, it seems that respect is not earned, it is simply given. It's not about what the authority does, it's about what the subordinate does. 

Yikes! When God revealed these things to my heart, I was immediately convicted. My mind raced to a hundred different scenarios even in the last year when I've sat around with my peers looking over homework assignments frustrated at the "harsh" grading. We've commiserated, complaining that it was "so unfair" that the professors were being so "nit-picky" by taking off so many points for such a "tiny error". And, I thought of all of the times when I was overwhelmed with the activities and assignments that I chose not to do assigned readings for certain classes.

My heart had been filled with pride. I refused to submit myself to the authority that God had placed over me. My professors have their PhDs. They have spent 30 years working in Bible translation. They've translated New Testaments and written dozens of academic papers. They know what I need to know, but even if they didn't, I am called to be obedient. And I'm called to be obedient without complaining or arguing.  

So, I'm learning. I'm learning that I must "show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, and honor the emperor." (1 Peter 2:17) "For it is God's will that by doing good, [we] should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people." (1 Peter 2:15) May we be empowered to go and do likewise.