Obeying parents is a tough topic with several areas to cover. Today's post is about respect.
It's a term we hear all the time: respect. Respect me. Respect them. Respect your elders. Respect your teachers. Respect your sister. Respect their wishes. Respect their time. Respect your brother. Respect your friend. Respect your classmate. Respect your parents.
It's a word that we learn when we're young, but what does it really mean? We know that when someone says "respect," they basically want us to be nicer. But respect is so much more than that.
According to Dictionary.com, respect is "esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability...deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment....to hold in esteem or honor."
Think of the most amazing, honorable person you know of. Maybe it's a movie star, a top designer, an American Idol winner, the Queen of England, or the President. Now, answer a few questions about that person:
How much would you pay to see that person? To have lunch with them? To get their advice on your life problems?
Could anyone do their job as well as they do? How would you feel if they were suddenly gone?
How would you describe them? Amazing? Excellent? Skilled? Wise?
Would you say that they hold a high, privileged position?
Do you hold them in esteem and honor?
Would you treat them the way you treat your parents? Would you treat them better than you treat your parents?
Look at the answers to your questions. No doubt you've established that, even if you wouldn't always agree with this person, you would recognize the value of their life experience, the honor of their position. Think over the way you would treat that person. You wouldn't be rude. You wouldn't dis them in front of your friends. You wouldn't be unkind to them or talk back.
Now, think about your parents for a second. Maybe in your eyes they're already amazing. Maybe all you can see is flaws. I don't know what you see; every situation is different. But I want you to put aside all of your opinions for a moment and consider what I'm about to tell you.
The God of the Universe, the Creator of galaxies, the One who runs the world, the One who holds the power of life and death, the One whom angels worship and demons fear, the only One who knows everything, the only One who is all-powerful, and the One who died a horrible death to save you from hell because He loves you deeply and infinitely, this One who wants you to be your best--your best, as an individual with potential to impact the world and shape it for Him--He is God. God knows everything about every adult in the history of the world. He knew that you would have parents, and it was His goal to give you parents who would shape your character and help you become the amazing person you can be. And when it came time to pick out these people who would shape your life, your parents, He--God--could have chosen any adults in the entire history of the world to raise you. He picked out the ones that you now call your parents (and stepparents, and adopted parents too).
Some of you may be like, "Whoa, God made a mistake." Nope. God doesn't make mistakes. He knew you. He knows that you could change the world you live in. And to prepare you, out of all the parents in the history of the world, He picked yours.
That's pretty special.
Your parents were chosen by God to raise you. To teach you. To help you learn how to interact with others. To help you learn right from wrong. To help you follow God.
You know how you respect that famous person? You should think of your parents as 100 times more amazing than them. Because God could've given you that famous person as a parent. Maybe you think that'd be pretty sweet, but God knows that your parents would do a better job of preparing you for life than that famous person. Wow. Pretty cool, huh?
God could've picked anyone, and He picked those people you call "parents." They deserve respect.
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