The Greek hero Daedalus built two pairs of wings for both himself and his son Icarus as a means of escaping a king’s prison tower. Daedalus had warned his son before taking flight, not to fly too high in the sky otherwise the sun’s heat would melt the wax holding the feathers together, causing the wings to fall apart and leading to a catastrophic crash. He also warned his son not to fly too close to the ocean or the feathers would soak up water and become too heavy for flight and thus also crashing into the waves.

In the end, Icarus disobeys his father’s warnings and flew too close to the sun’s rays, causing the wax to melt, the feathers to fall apart, and his death guaranteed as his father watched helplessly.

Jesus asked a question in the gospel of Luke, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” – Luke 6:46.

An authority you refuse to submit to, is an authority you don’t acknowledge.

To say you acknowledge an authority you don’t submit to is utter falsehood and pretense. This is the point Jesus Christ makes by posing the question to the multitude in the gospel of Luke. A child that doesn’t submit to parental authority does not acknowledge parental authority. When an individual rejects God’s authority, It is the spirit of disobedience that exists in the person’s heart.

Disobedience is a result of putting one’s own will above God’s authority. It is a spirit borne of pride and usually starts in the form of contentious questioning: “Why should I, Why must I, Why do I ? etc.”

Disobedience to God led to the downfall of man in the beginning. And to this very day its indelible mark still afflicts humanity.

Man can either serve his own will or submit to God’s authority. There is no neutrality.

The world is in a perpetual state of chaos and unrest because it refused and still refuses to acknowledge the authority of God. Nowadays, the world goes a step further making convincing arguments that God does not exist and that the only authority that exists and is to be followed is man’s reason. Man believes that denying the existence of God will absolve him of the sin of disobedience. But one cannot deny the existence of God any more than a child can deny the existence of its parents.

The bible makes it clear that there’s an authority that supersedes our own. An authority that is perfect, true, right, and pure (Psalm 19:7-11). This is the authority and will of God. Jesus Christ while on earth submitted himself to God’s authority and was rendered perfect and infallible. And because Jesus did this, we can, through Jesus Christ also fulfill the will of God.

And though we struggle in the flesh, it is important that we submit to God’s authority by constantly asking Jesus’ aid in prayer. Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Mark 14:38