R-E-S-P-E-C-T

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Perhaps you remember the song recorded by Aretha Frank= lin several years ago with this title. The comedian Rodney Dangerfield made a career wi= th the line “I don’t get no respect.” Respect is defined as “esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a pers= onal quality or trait.” Paul admonished us in Romans 13:7, “Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, cust= oms to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” We, as Christians, should be setting the standard for giving honor to whom honor is due. However, I am afraid we are falling short of the goal. Why? I believe = at least a part of the reason is we are not teaching our children respect. Whi= le it is true that we should have a certain respect for all others, I would li= ke for you to consider a few specifics.

Parents. “Children, obey yo= ur parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it = may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’” I have a hard time believing how some children talk to their parents today. I can’t imagine talking in such a way to my father now, let alone when I was a child. Why do children do such things? First, because their parents l= et them. My parents believed in corporal punishment, only we called them ̶= 0;whoopins”. They were not something eagerly anticipated. One sure way to get one was to back talk or show disrespect to them, or to any adult. Second, parents are setting a bad example. How do you speak when talking about your parents, in-laws, grandparents, or any other older adult? You children are listening= .

Teachers. I hear many teachers ta= lk about the struggles they face in our schools. I did some substitute teachin= g in Kentucky and found our first hand what they are talking about. Students with belligerent, disrespectful attitudes. Students who will talk back to teachers with such things as “You can’t make me do that.” First of all, I believe a paddle (or in my case with a 4^th grade teacher –= a 3-cornered ruler), might alleviate some of this. With that being said, once again, I think parents must shoulder at least some of the blame. “Don’t you dare paddle my child or I will sue you.” My parents always told me that if I got a paddling at school, I would get anot= her when I got home. I was convinced that wasn’t fair at the time. Why sh= ould I get punished twice for one “crime?” All I can say is that I c= an count on one hand the number of times I got in trouble at school. Today, if= a child gets in trouble at school, the parents often want to blame it on the teacher. “My child would never do (or say) that.” If we want our children to show them respect, we must set the example.

Law. The juvenile crime rate is disturbing and the offenders keep getting younger and younger. One problem = is the lack of accountability. Do you remember the outrage from Singapore a few years ago whe= n a young man was “caned” for vandalism. I do not want to get into a debate about whether that was appropriate punishment or not, but we need to hold our children accountable for their actions and let them deal with the consequences. Another part of the problem may be you. How much respect do y= ou have for the laws of our community, state and country? Before you answer, l= et me ask, “How fast do you drive?” Before you respond that itR= 17;s no big deal, think about the example you are setting. We know what the signs say but we rationalize that the law enforcement officers will let you get by with 5-10 mph over the limit. The issue is not what you can get by with, but what does the law say.

I hope this have given you some food for thought. Next week, we will consider= the matter of supreme importance: our respect for God.

--Lamar