Respecting is Loving, Posted October 15, 2010

Hey guys, sorry I did not get my new post done very quickly, vacation with my family always uses more time than you think. Had a blast and totally worth it, but I know I need to get this out, so here is my post about respect and how vital it is to our walk. It is not only important to respect those close to you; you must respect those around you at all times, and yourself. God created us in His image, and disrespecting ourselves and those around us is like telling God you do not respect Him or His creation.

1 Peter 2:17(NLT) says, “Show respect for everyone. Love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God. Show respect for the king.” Again, God does not allow room for negotiations; He says show respect for EVERYONE, meaning no exceptions. This does not mean that when someone doesn’t like you, you can treat them like crap, or if you decide you’re not fond of another person. Respect is a way to show love, whether you feel it or not.

Many times people think that others need to earn respect for us to show it to them, but we did not earn Christ’s love before He died on the Cross for us, did we? Making a conscious effort to show respect regardless of our feelings can be a huge testament to the way we ourselves are loved. It is a vital part of learning who we are in Christ, and being the salt of the earth, as we are called to be. Talking and griping about one another is a form of disrespect, whether it is to their face or not. It is also disrespectful to the person who is hearing it. So love each other, the way Christ loves us, and have some respect!

I feel this is also important for those looking for a mate… If you are not capable of making the decision to respect in spite of how you feel, you are not ready to be married, or in a relationship. When you realize that you have to live with that person the rest of your life, it will sometimes be very hard to show you respect them when you feel that they haven’t earned it. So start practicing before it gets really hard….