Read 1 Peter 2:13–25
Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. 1 Peter 2:17

True Christians submit to authority because they are first of all submitted to Christ. They use their freedom as a tool to build with and not as a weapon to fight with. A good example of this attitude is Nehemiah, who willingly gave up his own rights that he might help his people and restore the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 1:1—7:3).
If we are sincerely submitted to authority “for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13), then we will show honor to all who deserve it. We may not agree with their politics or their practices, but we must respect their position (Rom. 13:1–6). We will also “love the brotherhood”—the people of God in the church. This is a recurring theme. One way we show love to the brotherhood is by submitting to the authority of the “powers that be” (v. 1 KJV), for we are bound together with one another in our Christian witness.

We “honor the king” because we “fear God.” It is worth noting that the tenses of these verbs indicate that we should constantly maintain these attitudes. “Keep loving the brotherhood! Keep fearing God! Keep honouring the king!”

Something to Ponder
When you are in a position of authority, what do you do to try to earn the respect of those under your leadership?