unlikely leaders
"At daybreak He called His disciples and selected twelve of them to be His apostles." —Luke 6:13
Did you ever notice that people the Lord has chosen to be in authority often don't seem to be the best choice? For example, hundreds of millions of Christians don't believe that they need to submit to the authority of bishops. Many children think their parents leave a lot to be desired. How many wives joyfully submit to their husbands? If a pastor actually commanded his parishioners to do something, wouldn't most of them ignore him?
Nevertheless, contrary to popular opinion, the Lord knows what He is doing when He chooses leaders. For example, when the Lord chose the apostles, He had spent "the night in communion with God" (Lk 6:12). After He made the dubious selection of the apostles, Jesus manifested His great power through healing and deliverance (Lk 6:18-19). Jesus is perfectly wise (see 1 Cor 1:30) and all-powerful. He knows what He is doing even when He chooses "those whom the world considers absurd" to lead us (1 Cor 1:27).
By faith, let us follow His leaders, as weak as they or we may be.
Prayer: Father, give me the strength of faith to be submissive to authority.
Promise: "Thus did God disarm the principalities and powers. He made a public show of them and, leading them off captive, triumphed in the person of Christ." —Col 2:15
Praise: Audrey, a new school teacher, begins each day by thanking God for her job, praying for each of her students, and asking for the grace to be the best teacher she can be.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, February 13, 2001
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 20, 2001