Compliance or Defiance—Does It Matter?
When told to do something, are you one who complies or defies? Some rules are advantageous and others might feel oppressive. Still, rules are meant to be followed. The general premise is that they are established to protect people, generate revenue, or create parity within communities or nations.
We Like the Helpful Side
Seat belts are a good example. Growing up in the 1950-1960s there were none. We all piled in my dad’s big black sedan and off we went for a Sunday afternoon picnic at the lake. Safety was never a concern. And when I started a family of my own the majority of cars were not equipped with seat belts. I wish there had been a way to buckle our children in because I vividly remember my four-year-old daughter coming home from a short trip to the store with her dad. To avoid a crash the brakes were applied quickly which propelled her forward. In a split second she’d hit her mouth on the dashboard, cutting her tongue quite badly.
While in Europe and Australia mandatory seat belt laws were implemented in the 1970’s, it was not until December 1984 that New York became the first state in the U.S. to adopt such a law. In the following 16 years, all but one of the states passed some kind of mandatory seat belt law, with New Hampshire being the exception.[1]
In December 1990, my home state of Oregon established its mandatory seat belt law. Now drivers are ticketed for not wearing seat belts and for transporting passengers who are not buckled in. Signs along the highways warn: “Click-it or ticket”. This smart law has proven to lessen injuries and save countless lives.
Choose to Abide by Rules that Seem Unfair
Income tax laws, on the other hand, might appear unfair and even oppressive. But the laws are meant to be upheld. Come April 15th , my tax return will be filed. It helps that compliance is more a part of my nature than is defiance. I understand it takes money to run the nation, our counties, and cities and I appreciate many services our tax dollars provide that we wouldn’t otherwise have. But some don’t see it that way. There are stories of those who butt heads with the IRS and find themselves in a lengthy court battle that lands them in jail for tax evasion. It seems a better choice to go about changing the laws we don’t like through the legislative process. Becoming stubbornly defiant can result in dire consequences.
I appreciate the freedom we have in the United States. Our vote counts. Voting is a privilege that makes change possible by allowing our voices to be heard in positive, respectful ways.
God-appointed Authorities
God’s word gives us the best reason to abide by the governing authorities. In Romans 13:1 we read: Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Verse 6 continues to drive the point home: This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
Think of Rules as Spiritual Seat Belts
When it comes to rules, our compliance or defiance really does matter. If we desire to honor the Lord, and live with respect for our fellow man, it profits us to see God’s principles as spiritual seat belts meant to bring good and not harm. Rules don’t feel as burdensome when Biblical precepts are kept at the forefront of our thoughts.
[1] Alma Cohen and Liran Einav, 2001, The Effects of Mandatory Seatbelt Laws on Driving Behavior and Traffic Fatalities, http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/olin_center/papers/pdf/341.pdf
