For Jews in Paul’s time, taxes were levied by the Roman government. The Jews weren’t Roman citizens, therefore they questioned whether or not they were obligated to pay taxes. Do you recall what Jesus said in response to this question? He told them to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and render unto God what is God’s. God uses the government for a variety of reasons, such as the maintenance of our cities, to fund our police and emergency services, to provide programs that benefit the poor or elderly, just to name a few. The government’s responsibility is to look after its people, and our taxes help the government do that. What about respect and honor? How do we “pay” that? If God puts these people into authority, then we need to respect that authority. Sometimes we find it hard to respect the individual holding the title for whatever reason, but we can always respect the position. And we set an example of Christian love and obedience when we honor those who hold positions of authority, from the police officer who stops us for speeding to the governor who establishes guidelines for safety. Sometimes we get so focused on our own lives and concerns, we forget that God uses everything for our good and His glory…even the government.