What is your feeling when you hear this topic? Roll your eyes and say, “Yeah! THAT sure is lacking in our culture?” Or, “Yeah, I’d like to get more
respect!” Whatever your feelings, you
probably would have to agree that showing respect for others is something
necessary to a good life, whether you are an adult or a child.
Parents who do not teach their children to be respectful are
doing them no favors. They may think
they are raising independent thinkers, but those who do not know how to work
under authority have serious problems all their lives. They frequently struggle to hold a job. They move from situation to situation rather
than staying and working things out. I
have found that people who are perpetually needy or even homeless have this
lack of respect for authority in common.
So what should we respect? What does proper respect look like?
#1 Respect for parents and those in authority
Romans 13: 1-5 says we are to be subject to civil
authorities. These structures are put in
place by God. It says this proper
alignment with authority structures is part of having a good conscience.
Parents must model this for children by showing respect for
the authorities over them. Bosses,
police officers, and government officials can be the subject of complaints,
gossip and even downright slander. We
can express our disagreement with policies of our President or Congress without
being disrespectful.
I Peter 2:17 says “Show proper respect for everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God,
honor the king.” This follows verse 16
which talks about living as free people.
Respect goes with freedom!
Children are to honor parents. (See the Ten Commandments.) Children are to obey parents. (Ephesians 6:1) If they do not learn to obey you, how will
they ever obey God? If they do not
respect your authority, how will they respect and obey at school or work after
they are grown. Work on these patterns
while they are young and moldable.
This is not to say they should be mindless robots. After they obey, it is good to discuss the
reason “why” you asked them to do certain things. Help them see how good it is for them to do
what you ask. Let them discuss things
with you. Do not ask older children for
blind obedience. Explain why, not by way
of justifying your existence, but helping them think at higher levels.
Teach children that it is okay to question authority in a
respectful manner. Not to be confused
with arguing with authority, they may ask for clarification on a matter. If they have further information that has not
come to light, they can bring that to the discussion. But they must accept that in the end, the
authority has the right to settle the matter with their decision. Young children (under 8 or so) should obey
first, and get explanations afterward.
Everyone is under someone’s
authority. There is no such thing as
100% independence.
#2 Respect for God’s creation
I’m not a tree hugger, but I do see our responsibility as
stewards and viceroys of God’s creation to rule it, subdue it, and make it
fruitful. We cannot destroy the
environment we live in and expect to live well in it. None of us wants dirty water or barren polluted
land to dwell in.
First, we should be grateful that God gave us a beautiful
place to live. Is. 45:18 talks about how
God formed it and did not create it to
be a worthless waste. We could be living
on the moon! Yikes!
That said, creation is meant to be enjoyed. It is not meant to be preserved separate from
human touch. It is not sacred in
itself. It is not to be worshipped. (Ro. 1:25)
As good stewards, we can leave it better for our children
and our grandchildren than it was when we received it.
More on respect tomorrow...
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