Wednesday; July 15

This may be a bit odd to read in the middle of July, but today is “tax day”.  Due to the issues our nation was facing on April 15, the government decided to give us a few extra months to file our taxes.  While some people might still wait until the last minute to file, I would assume most of us have taken care of our taxes (either because we got a refund or because paying what we owed sped up any stimulus payment).  Anyway, since today is tax day I thought I would take a little time to reflect on our relationship with our government.  Income taxes have been around for centuries – since well before the 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution.  In fact, when Jesus was confronted by those who sought to ensnare Him with a political question, “... He said to them, ‘Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.’”  (Matthew 22:21).  As I look at this passage, there are a couple things that come to light – but, one that is apparent is that, as believers in God, we have a duel existence.  We are residents of the nation in which we live so we have an obligation to be good citizens.  We have a responsibility to obey the laws and pay our fair share to offset the costs of maintaining society.  Additionally, we are residents of God’s world; therefore we have an obligation to obey His will and pay homage to Him as the Creator and Sustainer of humanity.   Christians have duel-citizenship and duel-responsibility.
Let’s be thankful for the nation in which we live and let’s be loyal to the ultimate King of our world.  When we keep these keys in mind, we will be able to find contentment in this life and security in the life to come.
Think About It!

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