How well do we show respect to others? Great question. Let me start by asking another question. Is showing respect to others, another way to share our love with them? Ultimately yes because as Rick Warren puts it in our daily devotional, it is a way to see people through God's eyes. When we see people in that way we look beyond our own irritable, judging, self focused eyes. So often we demand so much from others in attitude and behavior that we ourselves don't even expect from our own life. We are quick to judge others when we hope others will not judge us. We are slow to have patience with others when we hope they will have patience with us. We lack the energy of understanding others only to hope that someone will understand us. When we respect people we open our hearts to the grace of God and see others in the light of God. We see others and can have compassion not matter what they are doing or saying.
One statement I read today really hit home with me...the most difficult relationships to offer respect to are those that are closest to us. How true this is in my life and family. I look at our household and we say and act in ways towards one another that we would never do with anyone else out in the real world. I get so irritated and frustrated with my kids. I display it openly and in some cases go way over the top with my frustrations. With anyone else I would take a deep breathe sit down and talk peacefully with them or in some cases just get past it on my own. My kids act and speak to us in ways that I have never seen them act towards anyone else. We often ask our kids why they don't say this or do that in front of other adults. There is so much truth to this. Why is it so hard to act with respect toward those that we are closest to? Maybe its because we see these people everyday. Maybe I can have patience once or twice with someone and forget about it, but if I am with someone all week it just gets to be too much and I just let loose.
I was on a two week mission trip to Belize one year...I traveled with a group from our church that at the time I was serving as minister of outreach and mission. I got along great with the folk we traveled with and never had gotten frustrated with any of them before. About a week into our trip some of us were getting a little chippy towards each other until at one point we were visibly and verbally annoyed with one another. It was a reminder to me that this love thing...this respect thing is easy when you only have to show it a few times. But when you are confronted with the need to respond this way several times a day for a period of several days it really wears on you. I would attribute this to the fact of our human nature. This is why everyday we have an obligation to continue to become more and more like Christ. To take on His character and Holiness and to shed our sinful habits.
I am praying that God will continue to mold and shape me....that He will create a greater awareness of when I am tripping up with my family in the area of respect. I pray and ask Him to help me with my patience and expectations of people and others. I hope and desire for His love to continue to grow in my heart so that my capacity to love others beyond myself will grow as well. How about you...what are you praying about?
In Community with You,
Your Dreaming Pastor
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