RESPECT IS A MAJOR KEY IN LIFE

The word RESPECT has been defined in so many ways. The way one sees respect could be different from the way someone else sees it. From culture to culture, office to office, race to race, age to age and country to country, people see it and interpret it differently.

In some offices, people are called by their first name no matter your age and status in the office. They have first name policy. However, if you try it in some places and culture, you may be seen as rude and someone who lacks home training.

Many cultural values and languages have been lost because we have embraced some cultures that are foreign to ours. Modernization should not take away our culture from us. I see the way some young people relate with older people and I feel like we have lost it in this generation. Our Words, actions and attitude are ways we show that we respect and honor people.

Respect is how you feel about someone. Having respect for someone means you think good things about who a person is or how he/she acts. You can have respect for others and for yourself. It is how you treat someone and showing respect to him means you act in a way that shows you care about their feelings and well-being. Also, showing respect for others include things like not calling people mean names, treating people with courtesy, caring enough about yourself that you don't do things you know can hurt you. People respect others who are impressive for any reason, such as being in authority — like a teacher or cop — or being older — like a grandparent. You show respect by being polite and kind. For a lot of people, taking your hat off is a show of respect. When people are insulted or treated badly, they feel they haven't been treated with respect. You can respect things as well as people. Respect is the key and at times, you have to give it before you can get it.

Culturally, calling your father or mother by their first name is not a sign of respect. If an older person offends you or does a thing that infuriated you, you should not insult them but you can relate it to them in a way that they would understand. Although older people could be annoying at times, we should not use it as an opportunity to insult them. To some people who are older, if they are talking to you and you walk out on them, it is an act of disrespect. So, the way one sees the word respect could be a cultural, mindset or country thing. To many, respect should be earned because people should place themselves in a way that will not make others disrespect them. You do not force people to respect you because if you do, you will end up being looked down upon.

In my country, it is said that what you cannot accept when you become rich, you should reject it now that you are poor. People should not bring themselves so low that everyone should step on them. Your present status in life now should not make you place yourself so low that people will trample down on you and that does not mean you should disrespect others either. Respecting others when you are angry is a thing of strength. Also, being a boss or older should not make you talk down on others or disrespect them.

However, I believe that we should respect the elderly, our bosses, parents, older ones, colleagues and so on. The bible talks about respecting these people who are over us. Below are people we should give respect to:

1.      Parents:  When you respect your parents, the bible says your days will be long, it shall be well with you and you are not cursed.

·         Proverbs 23:22 “Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old”.

·         Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you”.

·         Ephesian 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise:³ “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth”.

·         Deuteronomy 27:16 “Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt. And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’.

2.      The Elderly: If you honour and respect older people, you are honouring God by doing it.

·         Leviticus 19:32 (God’s Word Translation) “Show respect to the elderly, and honor older people. In this way you show respect for your God. I am the Lord”.

·         1 Timothy 5:1-3 “Never use harsh words when you correct an older man, but talk to him as if he were your father. Talk to younger men as if they were your brothers, ² older women as if they were your mothers and younger women as if they were your sisters, while keeping yourself morally pure.³ Honor widows who have no families.

·         1 Peter 5:5 “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.

·         2 Kings 2:23-24 “From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” ²⁴ He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.

3.      Leaders and those in Authority:

·         Hebrews 13: 17 “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you

4.      Spiritual Leadership:

·         1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

Thee above people should be respected no matter who we are and what we do. We should always respect our parents, the elderly, people in authority and spiritual leadership. Wilson Ileogben