Cherry-Picking is Wrong

 “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” Titus 3:1

During devotions, this was the verse I read this morning.

In my lifetime, I can count on one hand the number of leaders under whom I have been led and for whom I have had deep respect and admiration. Although I haven’t always agreed with their decisions, values, and direction, I have tried to be respectful and compliant to those in authority over me. Tried. Have I always been successful? No, not by a long shot. Although my hot temper has cooled considerably over the years, I’m still working on my over-active, often-critical, and ever-sarcastic mouth. When I have been out of line, I have apologized.

My point is this: People like to cherry-pick Bible verses and grab only the ones, or pieces of ones, that align with their current worldview. In the verse above, most people would probably be fine where it starts with “to be ready to do what is good” on down and skip the first part.

There is another verse that says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. “ 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT. That’s means all of it, even and maybe especially the parts that make us a little chafy.

Until a leader asks me to do something that is in opposition to my faith and Scripture, I will press on and continue to strive to be respectful and compliant because that is what God has said He wants of me.