Peter stood before the authorities who had arrested and threatened him, and said: 'We must obey God rather than human beings.' I was nineteen when I first understood what that verse means. My parents wanted me to study finance. I felt called to overseas missions. They threatened to cut off tuition. I had to choose whose authority to submit to.
I chose missions. They did cut off tuition. I worked three jobs, got loans, and finished my degree anyway. Not in a rebellious spirit—I genuinely respected my parents—but because I knew I had to answer to God first. That verse was my anchor when doubt crept in.
Twenty years later, I've been in three countries doing what I felt called to do. My parents eventually understood. But the principle holds: there are times when being a good Christian means being a 'bad' citizen of the empire. When authorities command what God forbids, or forbid what God commands, we have to choose. That's not easy. But it's clear.
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