CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 781

“Respect”

Romans 13:7 (ESV)   Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

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To respect someone is to esteem them for their worth or excellence.  To give respect is to be courteous, loving, and caring toward them.  It is easy to respect some people and hard to respect others.

Have you ever found it difficult to respect certain people?  Perhaps there are people in your family or those you have known or worked with for whom you are unable to respect.  How then do you treat such people?  Is respect owed only to those who love, care, and respect us first?

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. – 1 Peter 2:18

God’s Word is clear about our need to show love to all, even to those who are hateful toward us.

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:44

Our ability to respect others stems from the abiding presence of God’s Holy Spirit.  It starts with respect for God.  God is not ‘The man upstairs’ or ‘The Boss’ or ‘The Big Guy in the Sky’.  These flippant references to Almighty God  fail to show proper respect that is due His Holy Name.

We then need to have respect for ourselves.  Do you care for yourself?  Are you concerned with your spiritual and physical well-being?  Many people are their own worst critic.  They lack self-esteem and fail to respect who they are in Christ.  Through Jesus Christ we are transformed into a new creation.  We are born again by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.  We have a living hope for eternal life beyond that of this world and we have a God-given purpose to fulfill in this life.  Knowing this should energize us. Who we are in Christ is worthy of our respect.

Our respectful, personal relationship with Jesus allows us to see others through His eyes.  His abiding presence empowers us to forgive others as He forgave those who persecuted and crucified Him.  Our ability to respect others and see their value and worth is powered by God’s love for them.

Do all people act in such a manner that is worthy of respect?  No. But neither do we.  We need to allow Christ in us to manifest His grace of courteousness, caring and love, even to those who are hateful toward us.

In summary, we owe respect for our fellow man that He created in His own image.  Respect begins with God and continues with understanding who we are in Christ.  Respect is then manifested through God’s love and grace shown to the world through us as we move through this life in His purpose and will.