simon says... JUMP!

Kids play the simple game of Simon Says on the playground for fun. Moving forward and backwards like small drones being told this and that. Most likely, we’ve all played something similar in our young years.

Daily, we live under someone’s authority- often without conscious thought, planning, or awareness. We can be like the children above, moving about and thinking according to someone else’s design and not our own.

 I believe we need to uncover exactly whose authority is leading us from day to day so we are aware that it’s our choice.

I choose an authority to submit to.

Sometimes it’s me. I decide to do this or that regardless of any counsel or opinions from others. Sometimes I know that what I’m about to do is outside of God’s revealed wisdom, and I still choose to do it. I am my own authority.

Other times I allow society and media to be my authority. I’m told by the world around me to think this or that, to respond this way or that way, and I fall in line obediently without much thought.

Rarely am I consciously thinking, “Today I think I’ll let satan or the world tell me what to do.” But that is the underlying truth.

Remember when we picked apart Genesis chapter two and three?

A gracious and loving creator God had exercised His authority by telling His creations which trees would offer life and which would offer death. For their own flourishing He gave them boundaries and exercised his authority.

But the serpent subtly challenged this when he spoke with the woman. Creating doubt about God’s goodness and God’s care for her, he challenged her to reach out and choose for herself. He challenged her to take the authority away from God and into her own hands.

She chose to be her own authority. And we’ve all followed in her footsteps since that day. 

Believing the lie that God is a faulty authority.

Believing the lie that we are better judges of what is ultimately for our good.

Daily we decide who’s the boss.

Last week I posed the questions:

How does authority work in your life? 

What comes first- seeking the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, or making your own choice?

What about when your reasoning is in conflict with scripture? 

Are you cognizant of submitting to an authority daily in your thoughts, attitudes, and actions?

We’ve been specifically relating these questions to the topic of gender (though they apply broadly in our lives as well). 

As a follower of Jesus, I want to carefully seek His wisdom related to gender and sexuality. As we went through Genesis, I shared some of my conclusions.

Did you agree? 

Why did you agree or disagree?

So… do some thinking about authority in your own life.

Recognize whose authority you bow to in various choices, thoughts, and decisions.

Do you believe that gender is binary?

Do you believe that you should use someone’s preferred pronoun?

What do you think about gender reassignment surgery?

How can you love and walk alongside someone experiencing gender dysphoria?

These are just a few to get you started :)

Do your thoughts stem from study of the scriptures and seeking out the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and coming under that authority?

In our culture, the mere mention of the word authority can leave a bad taste. But scripture seems very clear- God has rightful authority over us as our creator, and He has benevolent authority because He is good, absolutely good.

But that absolute good is a topic for next week- stay tuned.