Respect

In all things you yourself must be an example of good behavior.  Be sincere and serious in your teaching.      Titus 2:7

The recent passing of Aretha Franklin brought back so many memories of years gone by.  We always loved her super hit R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  The words were memorable, the beat was catchy, and you could sing along, plus a spelling lesson was included.

Respect is defined as a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something; worthy of high regard.  People tend to respect many different things, but I have some things for which respect is absolutely essential.  These include ultimate respect for God, The Bible, His church, our country, our flag, our laws, our families, our elders, our fellow man, our teachers, our veterans, our active armed forces, our medical professionals, and many more could be added to the list.

In our household, respect  was taught on a daily basis because you can never take for granted that it will be learned by osmosis.  Children were taught the rules, and that failure to follow these rules had consequences.  We had no problem with corporal punishment and resorted to weapons such as fly swatters, switches, wooden spoons, even the infamous flip flop when all other weapons were not available.  Rules were followed and negotiation when they were broken was usually unsuccessful.

Laws are worthy of respect.  We learned that laws are there for your protection.  You break the law – you endure the punishment.  The importance of laws were brought home to me in the 1970’s when the Alday murders occurred in my small hometown.  The brutal murder of members of this sweet family inspired a new respect in our hometown and community for the laws which bring criminals to justice.

Our country, its flag, and those who have served and are serving are worthy of respect.  We were taught to honor all, and to never take the freedoms we are afforded for granted.

The Bible is worthy of respect.  It lays out God’s law, His story, and His commandments, not His suggestions.  When we try to change it to fit our own thoughts, respect is ignored.

God and His church are worthy of our utmost respect, devotion, love and obedience.  In our growing up years and in all our years since, everyone dressed for church every Sunday.  It wasn’t because we especially liked it, but we felt that God and His house of worship were worthy of our best.  There’s a reason people refer to nice clothes as your “Sunday Best.”

In this age of uncertainty in our denomination, our churches, our economy, our country, and our world, it would be wise of us to begin to use respect in every area of our lives.  The Bible makes it very clear that respect is one of the values which is necessary for life. We can learn so many things from the folks who have come before us and the ways they grew generations who know how to show honor and respect.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, this is what it means to me.

Respect is what we owe, what we give, and what we love.  Philip James Bailey