Respect is to Be Earned, and Not Just Given? :: By Candy Austin
Matthew 7:12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
The topic of Respect among youth circles, especially in recent years, is that it is something that is to be earned and not just given. Basically, these entitled young-uns have the audacity to smugly refuse to give respect where respect is due. Instead of having an attitude of humility and reverence for others in general, they think that they have the right or even the gall to make those who are older or different from them feel the need to jump through hoops and work to earn their respect!
Undoubtedly, this is about having a warped and overly privileged mindset with an out-of-control sense of entitlement! To this secular thought and idea, my response would be something akin to the Tombstone movie character Doc Holliday’s quote and line, “I beg to differ!” See, from a Biblical standpoint, we are automatically and readily told to honor and respect one another unconditionally, even above that of ourselves.
God’s Word does not say honor (respect) one another if they’ve earned it. No, it plainly states to honor one another (hold one another in high regard whether the other person deserves it or not). Not only that, but it also repeatedly states to hold Almighty God and His Word in the highest regard one can give to Him as well!
Psalm 103:2 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
Does the Bible Teach that Respect is Earned or Freely Given? – Trochia
Sadly, in this late stage of the game, which is in our day and age, there are no longer basic respects to be paid, due or had any more, even for our elders, for those of different backgrounds and ethnicities, for basic human life, and more importantly, for the Creator of the Universe Almighty God and His Holy Word!
Speaking of honoring and respecting unconditionally, the recent article by Bill Wilson here on RR titled “When Unconditional Hate Meets Unconditional Love” struck such a cord with me that I couldn’t help but view it as a timely, true, well-thought-out, and brilliant piece’! It was so good that I want to print it out and keep it for future reference. I like Bill Wilson’s articles; they are usually short, to the point, and poignant, to say the least. God bless this fellow writer and brother in Christ!
What is blasphemy? What does it mean to blaspheme? | GotQuestions.org
While reading in the Book of Leviticus recently, we found that during that time, if anyone blasphemed the name of the LORD (turned their backs on God, delved into all kinds of evil and sin, dishonored and disrespected His Name, Character and Word, acted insultingly or showed contempt or lacked reverence toward or spoke sacrilegiously of Him), that they were to be put to death by none other than stoning!
Leviticus 24:16 “And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.”
Yes, death by stoning! Can you imagine enduring the pain of that kind of punishment if that method was still a thing that was to be carried out in our culture today and how much different our society would be now? We can only begin to imagine.
Those who are unfortunately lost and clueless on these Biblical standards and ethics are the same ones who will tend to want to elevate even animal life above that of human life! These types of people will ignorantly and fiercely tirade about by marching in the streets, holding up their obnoxious signs for all to see while touting for these animal rights and shouting for the end of animal cruelty by vying that we all no longer eat animals! This is utterly ridiculous, for the Bible talks about those in the end times heeding the doctrines of demons and of abstaining from meats!
1 Timothy 4:1-3 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
What does the Bible say about respect? | GotQuestions.org
At the same time, hypocritically, they will march and tout with their revolting fists in the air that abortion (which is cruelty to humans btw) should be unquestionably legal and that the killing of babies in the womb should be uncensored and even wholeheartedly allowed and accepted by all no matter what! We all know the ridiculous hashtags that accompany such evil acts as this #mybodymychoice, which inevitably makes no sense whatsoever because the baby inside of them is not their body. Therefore, it is not their choice to make whether that soul should live or die, but God’s. But I digress.
Therefore, by their being demonically blinded spiritually, they are twisting everything that is moral, right, and true into everything that is immoral, wrong, and untrue, and the same goes vice versa! That to these debased mindsets, it’s OK to kill humans, but it’s NOT OK to kill animals. That respect is not to be automatically given to others unless the other person has earned it according to their warped and entitled standards and not at all in line with God’s Holy and Righteous Ones, which have been clearly laid out in His Word!
Isaiah 5:20 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
As bad as it is to disrespect one another (which is showing disrespect to God btw), the greater evil is to show disdain or dishonor toward God and His Word! For example, we just found out recently that even way back in the day, as in the 1940s Warner Brothers Cartoons, they were even then at that time sliding in blasphemous subtleties out of the cartoon characters’ mouths to influence young minds of disrespect to our Savior Jesus Christ!
Case in point, I bet you didn’t know that Sylvester the Cat’s cartoon catchphrase, “Sufferin’ Succotash!” was meant as a ‘minced oath and a sarcastic way’ to say, “suffering saviour .”Look it up… it’s pretty eye-opening. Call it what you will, but the only ‘Suffering Saviour’ I know was a man who hung on a cross 2,000 years ago to die for my sins and not for mine only, but for the whole world as well, if only the world would accept and trust in Jesus for the salvation of their souls! Therefore, I don’t take too kindly to anyone coming up with any form of mockery to my Lord God and Savior who suffered, bled, and died for me!
Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Bible Verses on Respecting One Another and God:
BIBLE VERSES ABOUT RESPECT (kingjamesbibleonline.org)
Lately, I’ve also come across some research on the disrespect of men, women, and children at the ‘cruel mercy’ of their handlers in the human trafficking sex trade against their will. At the outset, I realize that the average person cannot fully comprehend the atrocities and horrors that these souls have to go through. (As a sexual assault/incest victim and as traumatized as I have been at the shock and memory of it, even while being drugged at the time that this disgusting experience took place, even still, I cannot begin to imagine what these precious souls have been or are going through). My heart goes out to all those who are enduring this kind of shock and trauma, whether it’s in the past, the present, or even as we speak!
I know how it feels to be looked at as merely a ‘body part’ and not as a person with significance or even one with a heart, mind, intellect, opinion, and a soul. My prayers go out to these precious people who are being used, abused, and exploited at their expense for the sick pleasures of the disgusting, debased, and despicably evil people of this world!
It has been said that these victims come out of this horrid nightmare experience so broken in psyche, mind, body, soul, and spirit that it takes literally a lifetime just to begin to try and heal from the magnitude of the trauma this kind of evil inflicts! Oftentimes, these victims are sadly tortured and killed once they have been mistreated, mishandled, and used to their full potential, especially if they are seen as no longer viable, profitable, or useful!
We have not yet seen the movie “Sound of Freedom,” but we plan to in the near future. Apparently, the guy that this ‘based on a true story’ movie is about, whose name is Tim Ballard, has a website that is dedicated to helping these precious souls in saving and getting them out of this horrific and unfortunate malady.
Here is the Link to Founder and Former Homeland Security Tim Ballard’s ‘Operation Underground Railroad’ Site to Help End Human Sex Trafficking if you would like to support this cause:
End Child Trafficking | Operation Underground Railroad (ourrescue.org)
Once again, the term “Respect is to be earned and not just given” makes no sense, especially in relation to morality. From babies inside the womb, to children taken for the use of sex trafficking, to God-ordained parental authority, to our precious elderly, and just for the overall sake of basic human life, should it not dawn on us that respect is to be given even though they have not yet earned it?
Shouldn’t respect be given to them simply because they are made in God’s image and the fact that His Word tells us to do so in simple, common, and brotherly love towards one another? Wouldn’t we want such respect to be given to us if we were in these same kinds of predicaments?
More importantly, hands down, and no questions asked… Respect, Honor, and Supreme Reverence should be given to Almighty God (Abba Father) no matter what! Yes, no matter what… just for the simple fact that we are breathing right now and can see, hear, taste, and feel. Just for the simple fact that God put us on this earth to know Him and therefore love Him, worship Him, serve Him, and fellowship with Him, and for such a time as this. Just for the simple fact that God sent His Son to sacrifice His life in the place of ours… just for that one simple fact alone!
1 Peter 2:17 “Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.”
Therefore, all Honor, Glory, Power, Thankfulness, Gratefulness, and Praise should be given to the Lord Jesus Christ all day, every day, and more specifically… forever more!
Hallelujah, Praise the LORD. All Love, Honor, Glory, Power, Praise, and Thanks be to You, Lord Jesus, Forever and Ever… In Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen!!!
Until next time… Maranatha!
Sincerely & In Christ,
Candy Austin
(I have no Accolades….
I am just a Nobody,
Trying to tell Everybody,
All about Somebody,
Who can save Anybody!)
https://youtu.be/_wCTQdmXkUg
My Mission is to be ‘Salt and Light’ to a Lost and Dying world,
To be an Ambassador for Jesus Christ.
All for Him and His Glory!
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