Choosing your supreme leader has not
always been an option in our world, geo-politically speaking. In fact, taking a
look at history as a whole, the right to choose who a person would follow is a
fairly recent option. For centuries, kings would ascend their throne by either
force or family lineage and sometimes by a combination of those two. It wasn’t
really until the birth of the United States of America that the world saw an
opportunity on a large scale for a people to choose their ruler. There were
some elections before the United States but the wide spread choice came to
popularity at that time.
It is interesting to me that God allows
people to choose Him as their supreme leader. God’s desire has always been for
people to willingly choose Him so He could show His glory in and through their
relationship with Him. There are some major consequences in choosing to follow
an earthly king rather than choosing to follow God. We can learn about some of
those consequences when we look at the Children of Israel in the Old Testament.
Today our choice of an earthly leader rather than choosing God is really a
choice between God and self-rule. When we self-rule bad things happen, every
time. So, let’s look at these consequences in light of self-rule.
5
Consequences
of Choosing a King
1.
Choosing
earthly leaders might look good at first but they always turn selfish. This
is true of political leaders but it is very true when we choose to follow our
own desires rather than God’s plan. God always has our best interests in mind
when He gives us direction. When we choose our own path it often leads to
failure.
2.
Choosing
earthly leaders is ultimately a choice of rejecting God. God
has always provided a way of safety and salvation for people who follow Him.
When we choose to follow our earthly plans we, by default, choose to reject Him
and His leadership. Jesus said it best, “No one can be a slave of two masters.”
3.
Choosing
earthly leaders is a free choice. God will not force anyone to follow Him. God allowed
the Children of Israel to follow an earthly king even though he knew it would
not work out well for them. God is that way with us today as well. He knows our
plans will not work out but He allows people to follow their own path. If I were
God I would not do that but that is just one reason why I am not God. ;)
4.
Choosing
earthly leaders always has negative consequences. Death
and taxes, the two ubiquitous aspects of life. It wasn’t always that way. In
fact until people began to choose their own path, death and taxes didn’t exist.
Isn’t that ironic? When the Children of Israel chose to have an earthly king
God told them they would have taxes and when they complained about those taxes
God said He wouldn’t listen to their complaints.
5.
Choosing
earthly leaders is ultimately rooted in selfishness. No
matter what the issue, when we choose to follow anything that is not of God it
is ultimately about selfishness. When the Children of Israel chose to follow an
earthly king, they gave three main reasons and all of the reasons are dripping
in selfishness. First, they said they
wanted to be like all the other nations. We call that “keeping up with the Joneses”
today. Secondly, they said the king
would settle all of their issues. And
lastly, they said the king would fight their
battles. When we choose to follow our own path today it is a selfish choice.
So,
today, make the choice to follow God’s plan and path.
He has your perfect interest
in mind and He has made a way for you to follow Him through a relationship with
Jesus.
