Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, no a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

1 Peter 2:13-17 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to the governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

Commentary: God wants us to obey our leaders. He has given them their authority and we see two key points:

• the leaders will be required to give a full accounting to God for their actions. In this, we must take comfort that the final word will be Christ's (Romans 8:34); and
• this command is for our benefit. God knows that to be in continuous confrontation will impact our ability to be a good witness.