New Reminders: Respect

Respect is understanding the value of something or someone and treating them with appreciation.  The concept of respect is often confused with obedience or compliance.  For example, someone who is requiring our respect, might mean that they expect us to do as they say and to comply with their every command.  The only place that level of respect is warranted is from military officers or God himself.  But God, in his mercy, is probably more patient with us than an officer might be.

Treating someone with respect generally means showing regard for their abilities and accomplishments, valuing their feelings, accepting them as equals, and affording them the same courtesies and rights we expect for ourselves.  We should treat everyone with dignity and kindness, whether we agree with them or not, just for the fact that we are all God’s children.  We should respect everyone’s right to live as they choose.  For example, we need to respect our bosses right to ask us to do the job he or she hired us to do, even if we don’t like some of the things he or she says or does.  We need to do our job respectfully, to preserve our own self-respect, even if not feeling fully respected by our boss.

The best way to teach children to be respectful, without falling prey to those who might try to exploit them, is to teach them to respect God and themselves first.  Knowing that we belong to God, and that he is our refuge in times of trouble, helps us all (young or old) get though times we feel powerless to change what others say or do. 

Other people’s ethnicities, culture and religion, and all other ways of living, are to be valued and respected, and we have a right to expect the same from others.  We know we might not get the same respect we give, yet that does not mean we have the right to demean or undermine others.  The Bible teaches us to follow Matthew 7:12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.  This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”  The Golden Rule instructs us to treat others with the same respect, kindness, and fairness that we desire for ourselves.  Respecting others involves considering their feelings, needs, and well-being in all of our interactions.  We can respect anyone without liking their behavior.  1 Corinthians 16:14 tells us to, “Do everything with love.”  Love is the foundation of respect.  When we genuinely love others, we naturally treat them with respect, kindness, and compassion.  Love compels us to honor the worth and dignity of every person we encounter.