On Respecting Others
A Quote to Carry You
October 19, 2015
“So God created man in his image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27
On respecting others – Respecting others goes far beyond getting along with them, or even being nice to them. I believe that respecting others means to honor them as individuals, uniquely made, even when their views or behaviors represent something completely against what we believe or value. To me, respecting others has less to do with a person’s actions, and more to do with the person’s value and worth as a human being. We’ve all been given the gift of life, a treasure bestowed upon each of us by God. In that regard, each and every one of us is precious in his sight. That being the case, shouldn’t we all, at the very least, go about respecting others?
“…the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life…” Genesis 2:7
No matter what society says, we are all fundamentally equal. After all, each of us enters into the world and exits from it in the same way. God breathes life into us when we are conceived. We take our first breath of air when we are born, and life escapes our physical bodies when we breathe our last. The act of respecting others, honoring the dignity of each human life seems so basic. Yet, according to the tragedies we hear of in the daily news, it is apparently one of the most difficult things to uphold. It often makes me wonder why?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
I believe the answer lies within the lines of the above verse. When I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart as a child, I did not fully understand what an awesome sacrifice was made for me, and all mankind, to make it possible to receive not only a new life in him, but life eternal. In essence, Jesus gave up his life for ours; the ultimate sacrifice, born out of love. The older I get, the clearer and more important that truth has become to me. If God so loved each and every one of us that he would demonstrate that love in such a way, isn’t all human life worth respecting?
Respecting others is something that calls for us to peer into our own hearts and face what lies within it. For, all of us being equal, respecting others essentially means respecting ourselves. When we value and love others as we do ourselves, just imagine how amazing life can be.
May your respect for others lead to loving others…and may that love lead to a life that is truly worth living.
Peace and love,
Felecia
