Look Again
Dave Faust
Comedian Rodney Dangerfield was famous for his line, "I get no respect." He once said, "I get no respect from my dog. The other day the dog went to the door and started to bark. I went over and opened it. The dog didn't want out. He wanted me to leave."
In 1997 Ward Patterson wrote in The Lookout:
Today there seem to be few accepted standards of morality, decency, and respect. We prize assertiveness more than courtesy. Teachers struggle to keep the attention of their jaded and rude students. People threaten lawsuits and insist on their rights with little regard for the rights of others. Random acts of violence are commonplace. Even in the church we often see and hear actions and words that do not reflect the attitude of Jesus.
It's hard to argue with Ward's observations—or to deny that respect has fallen on even tougher times over the last 10 years.
The word itself can teach us something important. "Re-spect" implies to "see again," just as a spectator rewinds a videotape so he can watch a favorite movie or sports event again and again. Something is respectable if it's "fit to be seen," deserving of honor and high regard, worthy of review and re-examination.
If you want to live in a more respectful society, look again at other generations. Older Christians are repositories of godly wisdom; young believers will be God's instruments to shape the future. We need to respect each other. "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity" (1 Timothy 5:1, 2).
Look again at your family. Remember how you felt about your spouse on your wedding day? Why berate and belittle your partner now? How you will feel when your parents die? Before that happens, how can you honor and bless them? Remember the pride you felt when you held your newborn baby? How can you keep your relationship with your son or daughter from degenerating into bitterness and disrespect?
Look again at your church. It's easy to find fault, but are you part of the solution or part of the problem? Do you encourage your leaders? "Respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work" (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13).
Look again at your government. How do you treat police officers and other public safety workers, and those who serve in the armed forces? What is your attitude toward elected officials? The Bible says, "Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king" (1 Peter 2:17). We are free to voice our concerns and we are responsible to speak up for justice, but we must do so reasonably and respectfully. Harsh words generate more heat than light.
Look again at your neighbors. Does the integrity of your lifestyle help them see Christians in a positive light? God's Word instructs us to answer questions and explain our hope to unbelievers "with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).
Anyone can whine, "I get no respect," but it's far better to ask, "How much respect do I give?"
This column first appeared in The Lookout on Sep 9, 2007.
Longevity—An Overlooked Leadership Principle
There was a time when the local preacher was known as "the parson." His home, owned by the church, was called a parsonage. *Parson* is simply an adaptation of the word for "person." The preacher was considered "the person" of the community, an influential leader whose opinion mattered.
Look at the Palms
Palm trees bring to mind vacation spots and warm ocean breezes. Prized by the ancients for their flowers and fruit like dates and coconuts, palm trees also provided strong elastic fibers craftsmen wove into ropes.