Respect
Thursday 13th September 2018
'Take delight in honouring each other.' Romans 12:10 NLT
Respecting people can be difficult sometimes. We may battle with people in authority telling us what to do; or we may disagree with someone's way of life or point of view; or we may not trust someone's motives.
But, as followers of Christ, we're called to, 'Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king' (1 Peter 2:17 NLT). What can we learn from this verse? (1) We need to respect every single person. Each person, whether Christian or not, is made in God's image (see Genesis 1:27), so if we refuse to respect someone, we're not treating God's creation with the honour it deserves. (2) Church denomination or worship style don't matter. Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ, so we need to be united rather than disrespecting different expressions. (3) We must respect God's instructions. It's good to seek clarity if we don't understand them. (4) We should respect those in authority. We might not agree with everything they ask us to do, but unless there's a genuine reason not to do it (for example, it's illegal, harmful or going against God's will), we should recognise the authority God's given them and try to learn from them.
When it comes to respect, Romans 12:10 (NLT) summarises it nicely: 'Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.'
So what now? Is there a situation where you're finding it difficult to show respect? Tell God about it, and ask him to help you see the situation through his eyes.
Thursday 13th September 2018
'Take delight in honouring each other.' Romans 12:10 NLT
Respecting people can be difficult sometimes. We may battle with people in authority telling us what to do; or we may disagree with someone's way of life or point of view; or we may not trust someone's motives.
But, as followers of Christ, we're called to, 'Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king' (1 Peter 2:17 NLT). What can we learn from this verse? (1) We need to respect every single person. Each person, whether Christian or not, is made in God's image (see Genesis 1:27), so if we refuse to respect someone, we're not treating God's creation with the honour it deserves. (2) Church denomination or worship style don't matter. Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ, so we need to be united rather than disrespecting different expressions. (3) We must respect God's instructions. It's good to seek clarity if we don't understand them. (4) We should respect those in authority. We might not agree with everything they ask us to do, but unless there's a genuine reason not to do it (for example, it's illegal, harmful or going against God's will), we should recognise the authority God's given them and try to learn from them.
When it comes to respect, Romans 12:10 (NLT) summarises it nicely: 'Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.'
So what now? Is there a situation where you're finding it difficult to show respect? Tell God about it, and ask him to help you see the situation through his eyes.
