Romans 13 - what do we owe?

Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. (Romans 13:7)

Some questions to ask ourselves:
Do we give tithes?
Do we pay taxes willingly?
Do we download free movies or songs online?
Do we install pirated softwares?

Hopefully we have answered favourably to the questions above, but I would like to extend this instruction in Romans 13:7 a little more.

Render therefore to all their due: praises to whom praises are due.

If we know to give unto those who deserves, then how about he who deserves praise? Are we more likely to neglect this?

Blessed is he who praises!
For he sees the strengths and good of others.

Let us learn to give unto others what they deserves to get (in the positive sense, of course). In that case, we will be fulfilling what the next verse say: "Owe no one anything....."

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfulled the law (Romans 13:8).

The only IOU that we should ever write is that of love. Yet, in our day to day interactions with people around us, we have come to believe that we don't owe anybody anything as long as we don't do anything against him, isn't it?

In reality, I owe the greatest debt of love to Jesus. And what greater way to repay this debt by repaying it on His little ones?

‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

I owe my neighbour a debt of love, and so, I need to repay that debt. And the best way to repay is to share the gift of salvation with them. I ought to remember this as I mingle daily with my colleagues, my brethren, my family and friends.