TAXES

Romans 13:6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing.
Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Taxes! Don’t we hate that word?! There is an old saying: “There are only 2 sure things in life – death & taxes!” People have been taxed for thousands of years. We pay taxes for our government. We may not like those who govern us – after all we didn’t vote for them! But, someone did. A lot of someones. We put the people in power that make the laws concerning our taxes. And God’s Word says that we are to pay our taxes to whom they are due.

Okay, okay, I’ll pay my taxes. But I am going to pay as little as possible! As long as we are honest, there is no problem with that. Do we lie and cheat on our taxes just so that we don’t have to pay them? That brings us to the 8th commandment (Exodus 20:15). When we lie and cheat on our taxes, we are stealing what is owed to the government.

But the taxes aren’t fair! What is fair? Things that are fair for you may not be fair to anyone else. And vice versa. Not only that, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that life is fair.

So what can we do about it? Pray!

1Timothy 2:1-2 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
1Timothy 2:3-4 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

When elections come around, we pray that the right people will be elected. People that will make good decisions and godly choices. People that will use God’s wisdom. If those people don’t get elected, then we pray that God will touch the hearts of those elected. That God will show Himself to them and that they will respond to His voice. No matter who runs the government, they all need prayer. We must remember that God is in control.

God makes it clear that we are to submit to our government.

Romans 13:1-2 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

1Peter 2:13-14 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.

1Peter 2: 15-16 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
1Peter 2:17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

God puts people in power and He takes them out. Those in power are there for a reason. Sometimes He uses a ruler to punish the people of that nation – a consequence of their sin. As you read the Old Testament you can see how the people behaved under their kings. A bad king can lead his nation to do bad things. But the people still have a choice! God will use other nations to discipline the bad ones. Bottom line is that God is in control.

When we are honest in filing our taxes and paying them we honor God. Remember, God provides and gives us the means to pay our taxes. (Even Jesus paid taxes. Matthew 17:24-27) God has provided for us and given us enough. Are we telling Him that He is lacking in what He provides? Or is it the way we handle what we are given?

I know one of the problems with paying taxes is that we have no control over what the government does with our money. Some of it is used to help the poor and low income families. That’s a good thing! But some of it is also used for war. Not a good thing! Some of it is used to provide healthcare for the elderly and low income families. A good thing! But some is also used to provide funding for organizations that perform abortions. A very bad thing! So how do we reconcile this? We don’t. We have no control over these things but God does.

Prayer is the only way to have a say in what happens to our taxes once it is paid. God will use it according to His will. Sometimes it will be a blessing. When laws change and we get a bigger tax refund, we rejoice. But laws can also change that take a bigger chunk out of our paycheck. There is no tax law that everyone will consider fair. People will always complain that they pay too much while others pay too little.

But who gave you the money to begin with? If God has provided the money and if God is in control of the governments, shouldn’t we trust Him to do whatever needs to be done?

Taxes are necessary to run our government and keep our nation free. It comes at a cost. You have heard the saying “no such thing as a free lunch.” Well, freedom costs money. (It also costs lives, but that is another story.) We have much to enjoy and be thankful for in this country. Someone has to pay the tab. And those in government that control how the “tab” gets paid need our prayers. We can’t control the government but God can (and does!). Every time we start to complain about our taxes, let’s lift up our leaders in prayer instead. Prayer changes things!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture verses are from the New King James Version of the Bible.