September Virtue: Respect

DEFINTION: elevating someone by what you say and do

MEMORY VERSE: "Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." I Peter 2:17 

CONNECTION: thumbs-up to show that you are elevating a person to their higher position.

    (a connection is a visual reminder of the virtue)

SYNONYMS: honor, revere, courtesy, obey, devote, esteem

We must respect God, Authority & our peers: I Peter 2:17 (shown above)

We must respect God: “It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.” Deuteronomy 13:4 (NIV)

We must respect our governmental authority: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Romans 13:1 (NIV)
We must respect our peers:“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10 (NIV)
We must respect all elders:“Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:32 (NIV)
We must respect our parents: “Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 19:3 (NIV)

ANTONYMS: condemn, disobey, dishonor, scorn, disregard, ignore

We disrespect God when we disrespect our authorities: “Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” Romans 13:2 (NIV)
True respect is in the heart, not just in actions: “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” Luke 20:46, 47 (NASB)

BIBLE STORIES/LESSONS

• Abram Bows to the Angel of the Lord (Genesis 18: 1-15)—Abram is visited by 3visitors who tell him Sarah will be with child the following year
• Eli’s sons Honor Themselves Above the Lord (I Samuel 2:12-17; 22-25)—Hopni & Phinehas were wicked priests that changed God’s laws to fit their desires 
• Eli Honors His Sons Above the Lord (I Samuel 2:27-36; 3:12-14)—After reprimanding his sons, Eli did nothing further to correct them.
• Samuel Honors the Lord (I Samuel 3)—The Lord calls out to Samuel & the Lord promises to honor him.
• The Israelites Honor the World (I Samuel 8)—The Israelites want a king like the other nations instead of having God as their King.
• Goliath Disrespects Israel (I Samuel 17:1-52)—David defeats Goliath
• David Respects Saul (I Samuel 18:28-29; 19:1-12; 22:14; 24:1-22)—David respects Saul because God has made him king even though Saul seeks to kill him.
• Kids Make Fun of Elisha (2 Kings 2:23-25)—Some youth make fun of his bald head so God sends 2 bears to kill them.
• God is Worthy of Our Best (1 Chronicles 29:10-16)—David praises the Lord.
• Hezekiah’s Prayer (Isaiah 36:13-21, 37:1-4, 14-15, 21-23, 33-39)—Sennacherib’s men mocked Hezekiah & God. Hezekiah prayed & God sent an angel to fight for them. We should remain silent when others mock us! Those that disrespect God will be punished.
• King Belshazzar Disrespects God (Daniel 5; I Samuel 2:30)—He uses some of the temple gold goblets for a party. He dies later that night.
• The Golden Rule (Mathew 7:12; Philippians 2:3)—Treat others as you would want to be treated.
• A Centurion meets Jesus (Mathew 8:5-13)—God is in charge of everything
• Respecting Authority (Romans 13:1-7)—God calls us to respect those that He has put in authority over us. 
• Anger vs. Respectfulness (James 1:19-20)—We should be quick to listen, slow to speak & slow to become angry.
• Taming the Tongue (James 3:9-12)—We should use our words to praise God & to be kind to others.

Optional definitions for Respect
 -displaying someone is in charge by what you say & do
 -honoring those around you by your words & actions
 -showing someone is important by your attitude, words & actions

Changing a Child's Heart

Before I write any more on this blog, I want to stop & share my opinion on parenting & discipline in the home & classroom.  There are so many great parenting resources out there.  I will be keeping a list on one of my tabs as a resource to those of you looking to become better parents. I do suggest that teachers consider parenting resources as well.  I found them to be extremely helpful in shaping me as the "day" parent!

A few years ago, I went to a parenting seminar.  I went as a teacher looking to gain wisdom in helping me & the parents of my students since I had not been blessed with my own family yet.  I WAS BLOWN AWAY!  The seminar was hosted by Dr. Turansky & Joanne Miller of the National Center for Biblical Parenting. I bought up some of their family activity books, which have come in handy especially in the classroom.

When I became a parent myself, I read their book Parenting is Heart Work!  It is a simple book based on the idea that parenting is not merely changing behavior, but molding & shaping a child's heart to be more like Christ's.  You can read some reviews & information here. I do have to say that I enjoyed their seminars more than the book! The seminar was humorous, personal & so practical!  If you can set-up or attend one at your church, I definitely suggest it for all parents & teachers!

Another great book is Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp! I found this book be another great resource.  I think that this book is deeper than Parenting is Heart Work.  My opinion is that Shepherding A Child's Heart is a great group study, too. You can read reviews here.

I want to emphasize the premise of these two books: that your parenting or teaching objective should be to shape & mold your child or student's heart, NOT to just have well-behaved children! I hope that you be able to use any or all of my ideas that I write on this blog to focus on your child or student's heart that will impact their will & actions!

God Bless you in your journey to become better "potters" of the "clay" that God has placed in your life!