Respect: July 12, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JULY 12, 2012

RESPECT

DEFINITION:

Treat with high regard and high esteem.

SCRIPTURE:

Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise. Ephesians 6:1-2.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In the two verses we have put above we want you to note, first, that verse 1 of Ephesians 6 deals with children and their responsibility to obey. This speaks of action that must be taken.

In verse two when Paul refers to honor he is speaking about attitude which is the motive behind the action. When God gave us His law in the Ten Commandments, the first law governing human relationships was this one. It relates to family and is the only one that does, because this principle alone secures a families fulfillment. And verse two ends with a promise of special blessing for those that obey this command – children obey and honor their father and mother.

Society is built on the family. When the family breaks down the society breaks down. We are seeing today the devastating effect the break-down of the family is having on society. The major factor for stability in the family is respect. Parents must respect one another and teach their children to respect them and their authority over them.

“To honor your parents” means to act in a way that shows courtesy and respect and to be submissive to them. It means to never speak disrespectfully to them or about them.

If children do not learn to honor parents, the disrespect spills over into their adult lives, affecting every other relationship. It is the responsibility of the parents to teach respect and, if they fail, problems accelerate into the next generation. Soon an entire society is plagued with disrespect in homes, schools and workplaces. Does this sound like our generation today?

Our culture is disrespectful because parents have abdicated their responsibility. Instead of standing in the place of honor that God has given them, they have stepped down and tolerated bad behavior from their children. Some parents fail to recognize that disrespect is a serious matter that calls for immediate action. This is ignorance about discipline. If you let such attitudes and behaviors continue it will escalate, if it is not checked, and you are not raising your child according to biblical principles so how can you expect anything but trouble later in life.

There also is a misunderstanding about love. In their desire to be loved by their children, parents try to be a child’s best friend instead of a parent. Children need an authority figure in their lives. If children see a parent as an equal they are less likely to respect or love the parent.

Probably the biggest reason for the lack of respect today by children is that parents get overwhelmed with busyness and they let it slide when their children show disrespect. Teaching children to honor you takes time, effort, and consistency. If you as a parent do not teach your child does not learn. Parents must remember that they teach by example. Parents must also obey God’s command and honor their own parents.

In Ephesians 6:4 Paul instructs parents to be the right kind of teachers and bring their children up “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Acts 4:12.

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

PRAYER:

Help me to train my children to be respectful. May I be strong and firm in a loving way showing them that it is Your will for them to love, honor and respect their parents. Help me to be a godly example for my children and to be deserving of their respect.