Monday, January 29, 2018

The Give And Get of Respect

Obedience. Now there's a word we love to hate.  It sounds so demeaning to our American ears. 'Who are you to tell me what to do?'  'I'm my own boss!'  Somehow we have grown to believe that obedience reduces our personhood. 
Nothing could be further from the truth. 
Obedience to the authority above you—parents, teachers, coaches, law enforcement, employers—will have a direct impact on the quality of your life. 
Obedience doesn't mean mindless subservience, it means thoughtful and intentional respect.
Healthy authorities will build your character as you follow their lead. Unhealthy authorities will build your character as you determine how to respect their position while courageously maintaining your own character.
Respect is like love:  The best way to get it is to first give it, and you give it not because of who the other person is, but because of who you are. 

'(Jesus) emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bond-servant, being made into the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He emptied Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.'     Philippians 2:7-8

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