Aretha Franklin sang these words: "R E S P E C T find out what it means to me". They have been quoted repeatedly over the past few decades. You may have even stated them yourself; I have! The topic of respect is something that my friend and I were recently discussing. The question was posed: "How do you respect someone?" I have considered this question for the past week and this is what I have concluded.
The Biblical ideas and truths regarding respect start with our respect for God. The phrase, "to fear God" is used in His Word too many times for me to count. Many times this phrase is viewed as a negative term. Thoughts of being fearful and afraid come to mind and therefore can cause us to picture God as an angry and scary God. While there is truth to the fact that His wrath is something to fear and to tremble at, the term actually refers to having a healthy respect for Him. I don't "fear" the highway patrolman that is behind me (unless I am disobeying the law), but I have a healthy respect for his authority to give me a ticket if I stray from the roadway rules. God is not only worthy of our respect, but He tells us in Malachi 1:6 that it is "due Him". So from God's own Words, we are instructed to respect Him.
What about respecting those around us? Do people have to earn it or are we also required to respect them by God's law? Let's take a look and see!
As I was searching the Scriptures for verses that give us direction regarding respect, I found much more than I had expected. In Leviticus 19:3 we learn that we are to respect our parents and in 19:32 the elderly. Paul teaches the Thessalonians’ to "respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord". First Peter 3:7 tells us to "...be considerate to your wives and treat them with respect..." but here is the kicker; Peter also instructs in 2:17 "Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God and honor the king." Evidently, respect is something that we are to do because we "fear God" and want to abide in Him. Not because they have earned it or it is "due" them, but because it is "due" God.
During my research of "respect", I did find a few verses that refer to earning respect. Proverbs 11:16 tells us that a kindhearted woman gains respect; First Thessalonians 4:11-12 instructs us how to live so that our daily lives may win the respect of outsiders. These verses however, don't tell us that it is only by doing these things we will be respected but that by doing these things we will allow others to respect us more easily.
I have come to the conclusion that we are instructed by God to respect others because we respect Him. There truly isn't anyone, other than Jesus, who throughout their whole life has lived worthy of complete and total respect from everyone they have encountered. Respect is a gift that we offer to those around us so they may glimpse the grace and mercy God has offered us, even if, in our eyes, they don't deserve it. God answered Aretha's query by telling us that R E S P E C T means L O V E. Amen? Who do you need to respect today?
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