Respect

Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. 1 Peter 2:17 (NLT)

This is a very compact and concise statement. Yet it teems with meaning for we who follow Christ.
Loving our brothers and sisters seems a 'no brainer." We are to love other Christians. This has appeal. Love those in our "group." Jesus points out that love needs to be the way he loves, with our lives. Sacrificial but still it is love for those like us.


Fearing God and king reminds us that we are to be under authority. Not a cruel leader or unfaithful one or a slavish following. But each Christian is to answer to someone. No free agents. We may not like it but, if we cannot submit to someone on earth, we will not submit to God. Fearing God mans to do what he asks even if we do not understand or, from our point of view, agree.


The "respect everyone" gets me the most. Not a day goes by where I do not see people disrespecting others and being proud of it. We followers of Christ are not to act like the world we live in. We are called to be, well, odd. Everyone gets respect. No one is treated subhuman or slandered or maligned by us. We do not have to agree with people but we must respect them.

Lord, point out to me (or send someone to me to point out) when and where

I show disrespect in my speech.