Humble authority
You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority. ~ Psalm 8:6 (NLT)
God blesses those people
who are humble.
The earth will belong
to them! ~ Matthew 5:5 (CEV)
Lord, somehow we all got the idea that authority means acting powerful -- showing everyone that you're strong and in charge -- getting as many people as possible to do what you want. That's how the world thinks. But you think differently. You give genuine authority to people who act humbly. You bless the humble. Forgive me when I start to think of weapons and aggression as the only way to get things done. You have a different way of looking at things. And you favor those who think like you. Help me to be the way that you want me to be. Help me to accept my role as a humble authority -- starting now. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
