Authorities are God's servants

Key verse
Deuteronomy 25:10 - That man's line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled. (I put this verse up mostly because I found it amusing.  To check out the context, read Deuteronomy 25:5-10.)

Romans
Read Romans 13:6-7.  Actually, I'll post it here so that you can easily refer to it: "This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."
I think almost everyone realizes the necessity of paying taxes, even if they don't enjoy it.  As I read these verses, I thought, of course, taxes, I pay those.  But then I read the last part, about paying honour and respect to those in authority.  Taxes are one thing, but honour and respect??  Just look around in the news, and see the advertising of political parties, and it certainly doesn't seem like they deserve honour and respect.  Petty fighting and insults are the way they treat each other; it certainly doesn't seem like they want or deserve our respect.  But the people that God has placed in authority are there to govern us; they have huge responsibilities, even if it doesn't seem like they use them well sometimes.  If we pray for them, show them respect, and honour them, perhaps they'll raise the standard and become the type of people that we would readily respect and honour.