R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find Out What it Means to God

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find Out What it Means to God

Often people will ask me, “What do you prefer to be called: ‘Minister;’ ‘Pastor;’ ‘Reverend?’” Sometimes I respond, “‘Your Holiness’ has a nice ring to it!” Just kidding of course; nevertheless, titles can be a dubious way of trying to garner respect. Human beings should be treated with respect, but not everyone deserves it. There is One who has many titles and always deserves our unequivocal respect. His most widely used title is “God.”

How do you show respect for God and how many chances do you think He’ll give you to do it? God is a God of many chances, but not unlimited chances. I believe that as long as we have breath, He gives us opportunities to respond to Him with respect.

Since the beginning of time God has used a multitude of means to let mankind know that our lives only really make sense when we live in ways that demonstrate a belief in—and a true respect for—Him. For the past 2,000 years He has left no doubt that the way to show respect for God is to follow Jesus, our Savior, the Messiah, Christ, Lord. Only He deserves those titles and He deserves our respect.

Our view of the world, and therefore our respect for God, got seriously messed up (to use a profound theological term) through the sin in the garden. The primary problem has been man’s inability to keep God at the center of his worldview. Man keeps trying to put himself there. So, like a misaligned wheel, he rides rough, wears down too soon and goes off track. Mankind is in need of a major realignment.

If Christians don’t lead the way in realigning people toward respect for God, who will? No one else can because no one else has the one Truth that brings people into right relationship with God and properly puts Him at the center of our worldview. That’s why it is so important that we concern ourselves with advancing that Truth.

But to advance Truth, you must be convinced of it yourself. None of us is naturally convinced; we’re born with warped minds. Actually, we’re born with minds that naturally conform to the views of the world—which are warped views, from God’s perspective. That has to change. God tells us directly to enter into that mind-changing process in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Only with a mind in the process of renewal can one have a renewed worldview. But, it doesn’t stop with simply having the new worldview.

Most of us know what we believe well enough to live our lives without being pestered by the nagging questions that have plagued mankind for centuries: Why am I here; what is the meaning of life? But, are we able to articulate those beliefs to those who either still ask those questions or have embraced false answers to them? Do we really care enough to learn to do it?

Does what you believe matter enough to you that it regularly becomes a topic of conversation? Does it matter enough to truly change your choices on a daily basis? Is it actually the filter through which you view life? Thanks to Aretha Franklin, we can all spell “respect.” Now, let’s learn how to fully express it toward the One who deserves it most.

“In that day a man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel.” ─Isaiah 17:7