Show proper respect to everyone
(1 Peter 2:17).

It can be hard to respect others.

When counseling with couples, I often hear one person say something
along the lines of, “He (or she) hasn’t earned my respect.” Parents often
say this of their teenage children. Most of us slip into this way of thinking
when we talk about politicians.

It’s normal to feel this way, yet it isn’t the attitude God wants us to have.
We can be aware of others’ faults, and there may be times when we
need to confront sin, yet the Bible tells us that we need to maintain an
attitude of respect for everybody.

• Show respect because God commands it.

A good starting point is to respect others because God said to. For
example, we read in the Bible that husbands and wives are to respect
their spouse:

… and the wife must respect her husband (Ephesians 5:33).

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives,
and treat them with respect … (1 Peter 3:7).

The same principle applies to other relationships. Peter wrote that we
should show respect to everyone and honor the king, although the king
in those days was an evil person (1 Peter 2:17).

• Respect others because of their position.

You can respect your spouse, child, parent, boss or others because of
their position. For example, after David killed Goliath, he became more
popular than King Saul. Saul became jealous and determined to kill
David, so David fled.

Saul gathered his army and chased David. On two different occasions,
when Saul’s army was pursuing David, David had the chance to kill
Saul.

Most of us would say that David had every right to kill Saul. After all,
Saul was trying to kill him. Yet although he knew that Saul’s actions did
not deserve respect, David honored Saul as his king and refused to kill

him. At his second opportunity to kill Saul, David said, “The LORD forbid
that I should lay a hand on the LORD’S anointed” (1 Samuel 26:11).

God wants you to respect others because of their position in your life.

Acknowledge that others have weaknesses.

Everyone is imperfect. Be careful not to let their failures erode your
respect for their good qualities.

Look for things that you can respect.

You can find something to respect in anybody if you look hard enough.

Respect others as children of God.

When with Christians, you are with God’s children and should honor
them accordingly—regardless of how they are acting. (When with non-
Christians, respect is still necessary!)

Respect others as made in the image of God.

The Bible says, “For in the image of God has God made man” (Genesis
9:6). Whether or not someone is a Christian, honor him or her as God’s
creation.

Honor others because God loves them.

The Bible says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). Do
not dishonor someone God loves.

Respect others’ desire to be good people.

Your husband, wife, child, boss or employee may make foolish
decisions. He or she may be lazy and forgetful. Yet chances are good
he or she wants to be a good person and do the right thing. You can
respect the desire of someone’s heart even if you are disappointed by
his or her actions.

Honor others for their potential.

See others as God does. Each of us has an amazing potential. Gideon
was a fearful man, living hidden from the enemy, yet the angel of the
Lord greeted him by saying, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior”
(Judges 6:12). The angel’s greeting was not because of anything Gideon had done, but because he knew how God planned to use Gideon.