R-E-S-P-E-C-T! The Things To Respect in Life

 Over two weeks ago, the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks, the first team in NFL history to win its division with a losing record, beat the New Orleans Saints.  Big shocker.   A stunner.  Besides the fact that I’m really more of basketball fan, this is the one time of the year, I pay attention to football.  The rivalries are historic matches.  My son, who defies the rest of the family and the entire Chicago Bears-loving population by living in Chicago and rooting for the Packers (You heard me. There is something seriously wrong there) is geared up for this Saturday.   The Packers will have to get around the man— Devin Hester—who my husband insists has to be a cousin of mine because our families both come from Ohio.

The reason for all this football talk is a spiritual one, since this is a spiritual blog.  When I looked at how the Seattle “Tweetybirds” roared past the Saints, I said “you gotta respect your opposition”.  This is what New Orleans did NOT do.  What happened to the New Orleans Saints is what often happens to people in life. They get overconfident. They think because they exist, they can handle life.   They don’t respect their situations, the people they’re involved with that are leading them the wrong way, they don’t even respect the warning signs along the way of life or even the pitfalls that other people have experienced.  We as mankind tend to feel “we got it”.  All we need is good ol’ American know-how etc.  Unfortunately,  If we underestimate, we could end up losing.

Sometimes people think because of their longevity in church or their ability to quote scriptures, or maybe they have done something before and think “piece of cake”, that they have some leg up on their deadliest opponent (THE DEVIL).  Newsflash!  No one does.  That is why we have to pray, fast and be fanatic about obeying the Word of God and its principles.  (By the way, in church, our opponents should never be each other, unless we are planning on spending eternity somewhere other than Heaven—yeah, it’s that serious). 

When the bible talks of “fear”, it’s not speaking of a Friday the 13^th, shriek-fest but “respect” or “honor” “awe”.   Proverbs says that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).  How does a person start doing what is right, and stop doing wrong?—START RESPECTING GOD! The bible even says that it will prolong your days (Proverbs 10:27).  I suppose because on average we will avoid a lot of foolishness doing what’s right and we will be of better value to this world doing the right things. (Think Jesus pleading for the Fig tree not to be destroyed—just a thought).    

We should respect God because He created all things, including us.

We should respect God because He controls all things.

We should respect God and His Word because it is all powerful and should be followed to the letter.

We should respect the Word because it is the road map to Heaven (I certainly want to go).

We should respect authority (parents, teachers, pastors, ministers, government officials, and police) because it is created by God.

We should respect our spiritual and natural gifts given to us by God, by using them.

We must respect things based on their nature, like:

We have to respect time.  It waits for no man.

We have to respect our age

We have to respect the climate. (Try to go outside in subzero weather, know what I mean).  That cold will make you give major respect.

We have to respect the times we are living in, changes around us. (Try and find a decent phone booth).

And even though we don’t like to mention Him, we are not going to be so ignorant as to ignore our major opponent like the Saints did.    We have to respect the Devil too (I didn’t say be polite to him)…he is the next supernatural power besides God.  He has had thousands of years of experience dealing with church people, saints, and sinners and can easily deceive all of us.

My next article…involves spiritual deception…stay tuned.