It is very rare that national leaders have support from everyone in their country. Generally, their policies and approaches are favored by some and hated by others. When we happened to be in the group that dislikes the current leadership, how often do we in private say awful things about them or think them? The same is true of the super wealthy and the disdain the working class has for the super wealthy is much more unified than dislike for political leaders. We rail against them in our homes and think and say ugly things about them. Why do we, the regular folk, do that? Generally, it is becomes the wealthy and powerful oppress the working class and are openly condescending even paternalistic toward us. We have little power over the situation so we take our frustrations out at home in private or think them to ourselves.
Solomon tells us we should not do that. We shouldn’t think ugly things about our rulers and we shouldn’t curse the wealthy. Why? Solomon basically says you never really know who is listening and a little bird may hear and tell your secrets.
So, how does this apply to us today? We don’t really have to worry about someone running to POTUS or Bill Gates to tell them what we’ve said about them. Does that give us free rein then? Certainly not. So, let’s make a few applications for us today.
🧠 We should control our thoughts – even when thinking about those in power over us and even when we extremely disagree or dislike them. We must control what we think and say about them. Even if we never say what we think aloud, it is ugly then we shouldn’t even be thinking it. We need to move on and dwell on something else.
📲 Ranting and saying ugly things about those in power over use includes what we post and how we talk about those individuals on our social media accounts. Even though they may never personally read them, God does. He sees and is displeased. Others do. They see our bad and ugly attitudes.
👂🏻When we say ugly things about those in power over us (bosses, elders, politicians, et ) we never really can know who is actually listening with the intent to spread what we’ve said to others.
Those who are in power over the working and lower classes have been and will always been disliked and disdained. They, in general, oppress the masses in some way. They condescend. They exploit. And they will be judged for that. God has blessed them with wealth and power. So, God will judge how they use it. For the rest of us, the masses – God will judge how we think and act toward those in positions of power over us no matter how much we dislike them and no matter how much they abuse their positions. We don’t have to like them. We don’t have to support their ideas or policies or approve of their actions. But we cannot curse them. We cannot say and think ugly things about them. We must find a way to express our opinions and thoughts in a godly way because it is how others will see God in us and it is what God expects of us.
Adonai's Appeal 