"Authority." The word alone causes so many of us to bristle.  Our culture prides itself on mantras such as, "I did it my way." Or "your way right away." 

It is important to differentiate between authoritative, which is what God is, and authoritarian, which is what we think of as a dictator. 

A good parent, however, is authoritarian.  We require our children to brush their teeth.  Do we do this to lord our power over them?  To force them to do something against their will?  Our intentions are in fact for their own good.  We wish them to avoid the pain and humiliation of tooth decay.  This is not to say that our kids look forward to brushing their teeth.  In fact, if we weren't around reminding them, I know that there is at least one child in our household who would NOT brush his teeth.  However, we could confidently say that his life is better because we require him to brush his teeth.  This is like the authority of God.  He, in essence, through His word, is reminding us to "brush our teeth."

The truth of His word is our guide.  It helps us develop habits and a lifestyle that make our lives better.  This may not be an obvious benefit, but the avoidance of pain (i.e. a toothache that requires root canal) is sometimes just as beneficial as a tangible in the here and now.  We accept the authority of God's Word, we apply it to our lives, and we avoid the pain that so many suffer who don't to submit to authority, just like the kid who doesn't brush his teeth and winds up with an abscess and a subsequent long visit in the dentist's chair. 

Sometimes it is better to avoid the problem in the first place then to have to get "fixed.". This is not to say we can't get fixed, but that is for another stop....

Next stop - Revelation Center