eKidz Devotional: All About InfluenceSample

Have your parents ever made a rule that you really didn’t like? Or has your teacher ever asked you to do an assignment that you thought was a waste of time? At some point, we all deal with this problem — what do we do when the people in authority over us do something we disagree with?

David experienced this in today’s Bible passage. Despite the fact that he had never done anything wrong to King Saul, the king wanted to kill David. David spent years running from a king who wrongfully hated him. One day, David had the chance to attack King Saul and save himself. David’s men encouraged him to strike the king down, but instead, he just cut off a corner of the king’s robe and sneaked away.

The men with David couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t kill King Saul so he could stop running. David wisely reminded his men that God had anointed Saul and placed him in a position of authority over them. He chose to respect that authority instead of trying to fight back, even though he knew Saul’s actions were unfair. 

In the third episode of “The Gunga Games,” Snark the HardClaw tried to get the TreeRunner team thrown out of the games by accusing them of cheating. Even though they didn’t cheat, there was no way to prove they hadn’t, so King Bobbo penalized the team. Check out this clip to hear how Fwizz responded to the king in an unfair situation:

Fwizz knew they didn’t deserve the punishment, but she accepted it anyway out of respect for the king’s authority. And later, when the SwiftFlyer Captain helped prove they’d never cheated, King Bobbo was amazed and honored by Fwizz’s respectful response to his decision. Fwizz proved the value of showing respect to those in authority even when we disagree with them!

Ask yourself: Who are some people who have authority over you? What are some ways you can show them respect, even if you disagree with them?

Challenge yourself: Set a good example for how to respect authority. Use good manners, like by saying, “Yes sir/ma'am” when they ask you to do something, and then obey right away. Stop your friends if they speak disrespectfully about an authority figure. Use your influence to help others do good by showing them what it looks like to speak to and about authority the right way.

Pray: God, thank You for putting people in authority over me to help me make right choices. Even when I don’t agree with them, help me to respond respectfully. Show me how I can use my influence to help people around me respect authority, too. In Jesus’ name, amen.