ODJ: r-e-s-p-e-c-t
July 26, 2009
Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king (v.17).
READ: 1 Peter 2:13-25
The top reason people leave their jobs, according to Steve Miranda of the Society for Human Resource Management, is due to bosses that belittle their employees or exhibit various forms of disrespectful behavior. “Bad bosses are energy vampires,” Miranda says.
How should you respond when you’re under the authority of a boss or someone else you struggle to respect? Motivational speaker and Olympic swimming gold-medalist Josh Davis believes, “There is never any reason to be rude or abrasive to another human being.” Davis says, “I apply a biblical principle to help me: ‘Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people’ ” (Philippians 2:14-15).
Scripture says respect should be given to . . .
• Governing authorities: “For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials He has appointed” (1 Peter 2:13-14).
• Everyone: “Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters” (1 Peter 2:17).
• Managers: “You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel” (1 Peter 2:18).
• Christian leaders: “Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other” (1 Thes. 5:12-13).
• Seekers: “If someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to
explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way” (1 Peter 3:15-16).
Today, consider how God would have you demonstrate greater respect to others. —Roxanne Robbins
In what three ways can you model respect for the primary authority figures in your life? How do you show respect to God?
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