While many of us are acquainted with the lesser definition of respect: "A feeling of strong admiration for someone or something induced by their qualities, abilities, or achievements"; many of us struggle with the deeper meaning which is "to agree to recognize/obey and abide by another's authority."
As a teacher and active member in my community, I cannot begin to count the number of times where the lack of respect was blamed as the reason why society has fallen to such a degree. Many were willing to blame the younger generation, while youth were more likely to blame this shortcoming on circumstances. Whatever the reason, respect has taken a backseat in our society.
I work with a lot of young people, many of which struggle with their identity as they try to find their place in this world, somewhere they can belong. Respect is definitely something that is difficult for them to grasp. It is difficult for them to respect themselves, much less other figures of authority: parents, teachers, elders, etc.
One constant source of frustration to most youth, are their parents. The complaint of, "They don't respect me, why should I respect them? They don't even care how I feel or try to see things from my point of view."
While some might point this out as a self-centered point of view (which I would agree), we need to take a deeper look at the problem here. The child wants to feel respected/acknowledged for their strengths, achievements, and abilities.
Then we come to the parent's point of view. I literally cringe when I hear a parent say, "My child should respect me because I am their mom/dad. Nothing else matters." Another word, most parents want their children to agree to recognize/obey and abide by their authority.
Do you see the correlation. Because of the background experience, respect has two different meanings. Different, but also the same.
Personally, I feel it ridiculous for a parent to demand respect from their child without giving them cause to respect them. This statement may seem borderline and even rebellious by some, there might be some who'd disagree with me, and I respect their right to do so.
Let's take respect to a Biblical perspective, shall we? Did God give us reason to love Him? Yes, because He first loved us. Did God give a reason for us to trust Him? Yes, because God always keeps His Word. Did God give us a reason to respect Him? Yes, because He is righteous in His Judgment and His Mercy.
So if God gave us reasons to respond to Him, why are parents unwilling to do the same? I agree that children should honor their parents, but I do not believe that respect should be bestowed blindly. Truthfully, we'd want someone to obey us because they wanted to, instead of obeying us just because we said so. It is important to become a person worthy of respect and honor, while humbly accepting that others may struggle or fall short of our expectations.
Parents should respect their children in the godly individuals they are striving to become. Children should respect their parents as a guide and authority in their lives. Neither should do this blindly.
Romans 2:11 says, "For there is no respect of persons with God."
God doesn't respect people based on their weath, influence, or position in life. God respects faith, and faith without works is dead.
Acts 10: 35 says, "But in every nation, he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him."
Respect is essential to balance the dynamics of a family, and because respect is first learned at home, it is best to lead by example.
The goal of this blog post is not to offend anyone. But rather to define respect so that it is a goal made plainer and more achievable. As always, I appreciate the time my readers take and I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment below. Blessings!
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