"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance." Titus 2:2
I have been involved in Scouting with my youngest son for the last five years. At one event I observed a Boy Scout in his mid-teens showing a Cub Scout in about second grade how to raise the flag. It was good to see the way the older Scout addressed the younger scout. You could see the way the Cub Scout looked up to the Boy Scout and I was impressed with the manner in which the Boy Scout taught him to participate in a flag raising ceremony, respectfully.
I have worked with students and parents as a teacher and administrator for twenty three years. To earn people's respect is more than just holding a title. People won't respect you if you do not keep your word. People won't respect you if you treat them like you are better than them. Let me tell you, kids know whether you actually care about them or not. And they will let you know fairly quickly. After working in one South Central school for about seven or eight years a fellow teacher noted that my door didn't get tagged while everyone elses did. I earned the communities respect by treating them with respect, which wasn't always easy.
I am being respectful? Are my actions worthy of respect or are they suspect? In the end I think it all boils down to being Christlike. If I am seeking to be Christlike I will be respectful and respectable.
Father, help us to be servants of Christ and to be Christlike in our actions. Praise be to you in us today!
No comments:
Post a Comment