Soveriegn Citizens

 One day my husband and I were watching youtube. We do that every now and then to see news, or comedy or instructions on fixing something. 

Anyway, when we did that, an array of suggestions came up. This time a sovereign citizen video came up. We wondered "what is that about?" and clicked on the video.

In the video, it started out with a police officer walking up to a car that he had pulled over for a traffic violation. The driver rolled down the window and ask the officer, "Why did you stop me??" 

The officer replied," you were speeding, going 50 and 35  mile per hour zone."

 Then the the officer added, " I need to see your driver's license and proof of insurance please."

Driver: " I don't have  to show you anything; I don't have a driver license or insurance but I don't need either one."

Police officer:" Yes, you do ma'am.You need to show me your driver's license and proof insurance. It's the law."

This conversation got more heated as it went on and the woman spued a number of derogatory remarks to the officer. 

Long story short she was claiming her "rights" as a "sovereign citizen"  and the laws of the land did not apply to her.

This is not a joke. 

After a very patient officer explained to her many times her obligation to obey the laws and her continual declarations of her own rights as a sovereign citizen, she was arrested and sent off to county jail where she  spent a bit of time; then  she went before the judge. She  continued her disrespectful,  and  cursing rant at him. She ended up with 180 days in county jail. 

To our surprise there are people who believe they do no wrong. They don't need laws. They say the government is  their enemy and they are not subject to ANYTHING it says that they don't agree with. 

In my mind the only reference to  the word sovereign, was referred to a king, or God Himself. 

  So this idea was new to me.

Until recently, I  realized in some ways that mankind is much like that woman in regards to our independent thinking.

From the beginning of our lives we want to rule over what we  will accept and obey. 

  Everyone has experienced a 2 year old child that says "NO!"when told to do something they don't want to do. They believe that the world revolves around them.

We might be much more subtle but if we are honest, we  in many ways do the same thing.  And sometimes we suffer from the idea of being rulers over our lives.

Like the woman in jail, we ultimately suffer from not having proper  respect for authority ( the police officer, and the judge) making wrong choices and in some instances end up stuck in "places" we wish we were free from. (   this can be a relationship, an addiction or anything that holds us captive)

 Having a self sufficient view of our rights doesn't consider others rights too. But the law  and it's orders are there for everyones sakes. 

There are many issues and decisions we face in which we believe it is our right to be the sovereign rulers of our lives.

 The "sovereign citizen"

is just a ramped up version of mankinds idea of our   rights as people.

We naturally think our ways ,our opinions and choices are just fine. Especially as adults we believe WE  GOT THIS and our way is best. 

Frank Sinatra even sang a song about it, stating " I did it MY WAY." And many people loved his song and still do!

 But as christians we want to learn how  to  surrender our rights to God in all ways. It is a lifelong giving over what we prefer to Gods promptings for us .

  If we trust God and remember  He has our BEST in mind, that's not quite so difficult to do. 

  The bottom line is Who is the Sovereign King of our hearts? Will we allow Him to place changes in our lifestyles that don't reflect a godly influence ?

As we mature in Christ, there will be Gods promptings to help us become like Him, grow in grace and become closer in our relationship to Him. Those promptings won't always be to our liking. They could be a simple, "don't join in that conversation" or "watch that t.v. program," or "maybe you should think about not wasting so much time on this or that."

  Convictions can also come through reading His Word.  There are instructions in the Epistles of the New Testament, and Proverbs in the Old Testament is called the book of WISDOM. 

 Jesus spent much of His ministry talking about The Father, His kingdom and how to live.   

 To get back to this weeks word: SOVEREIGN, as christians we do have a Sovereign King Who is both loving and all powerful. 

 He is the King of our hearts and lives. Unlike human kings our King is selfless and has sacrificed His life to bring us eternal life.

  His will and His ways will always be for our good and for His glory.

So  the next time you see a traffic stop maybe think about the sovereign citizen situation.  And ask God is there anything  else He wants surrendered to His will in your life.  

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, no one comes to theFather except through Me."  John 14:6

"Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened." Matthew 7:7

[10] For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

https://bible.com/bible/8/eph.2.10.AMPC

[28] We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. [30] And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

Romans 8:28-30