graphic: Martha G. Brady

Last week, our passage was Colossians 1:15-20. Its purpose was to give us a snapshot of who Christ is.

This week the emphasis is on who man is in relation to GOD and the animal kingdom? The reference to this passage is Psalm 8:3-9. The whole Psalm is great to memorize. I just couldn’t fit it on my graphic.

Humans have a rather high, honored place compared to the common view that we are a little higher than the animals.  GOD’s view, as stated in Scripture, is rather that humans are a little lower than angels.  Knowing that affects my view of myself as well as my view of other people, no matter how they behave.

Humans need to be treated with respect and honor.

Humans are to be treated with respect and honor, not because of what they do, how they behave, how rich or poor they are or even whether they are Believers or not.  Humans are to be treated with respect and honor simply because they are created in the image of GOD.

That is why we don’t abort babies, we don’t kill old people when they no longer seem able to contribute to society. That’s why we are not rude to people when we discuss ideas where we differ.  Why?  Because we are all created in GOD’s image and as such, we are to treat each other with honor and respect. That’s also why we are polite.

In this day and age, treating humans with respect, whether we agree with them or not, goes a long way.  I find this to be true at work.  Treating people with respect, no matter what their station in life, no matter who they are, gives a very powerful message!

I find it interesting that often those who are very privileged dislike this the most!  They often want extra privileges than others when they are ill simply because they are wealthy or “know people”.  When people are ill, we care for those who need the help most at the time. That may not always be the privileged person.

During the past few years, I have often been surprised how powerful the message seems to come through.  There is less and less respect in our world today.  There are many who claim to be Christians and probably are, who are disdainful of others who don’t agree with them, often on political issues.  If we are unable to treat each other with the simple respect we give people based on their humanity, we are going to have difficulty finding common ground with them so we can learn from each other mutually.

As Christians, how do we think we will gain any hearing of the Gospel if we are intolerant of others or rude when they share their opinions on topics that are not nearly as important in terms of eternity. We don’t need to make all of our opinions known on every topic at all times. We can be gracious and respectful. It doesn’t hurt us to listen. That isn’t a sign of agreement. It is merely a sign of respect and allowing the other person to finish their thought.

Be alert to signs of your own disrespect toward others. Your children will pick this up quicker than you do. They catch you in your inconsistencies very quickly. Where are your weak points? the elderly? infirm? those of a different race? different sex? the weak who can’t stand up for themselves?

Working with people who are in varying levels of neurological compromise has shown me that often, a calm, respectful, unhurried pace helps them a lot!  They can’t always talk or verbalize their needs clearly, but they can often feel lack of respect, impatience with their slower pace, and even patronizing attitudes that we may not be aware of.

Watch for signs of disrespectful behavior toward people.  It frequently comes out quickest in your family.  Learning to model it honestly for your children helps them learn it from a young age.  Subtle signs that you are disrespecting people: sarcastic comments, behaving in a patronizing way toward those who aren’t able to talk to you as clearly as you can talk, (they may understand much better than they can speak and are totally aware of your patronizing behavior), frequently talking negatively about others while pretending you like them in person….these are just a few of the ways we disrespect others who are made in the image of GOD.

If you are raising children, they are inhaling all that you are doing and will be acting it out someday in the future. Don’t you want them to be more sincere and honest in their behavior and attitudes toward others?  In the process, you may have to develop some new habits in your life.

Heart Change:

Think about how you treat people, those you know and those you happen to cross paths with every day.

Do you treat them as if they are made in GOD’s image/a little lower than the angels?

When you think about people, do you think of them in negative or positive terms?

If you find yourself consistently thinking of people as having negative motives,

• such as not liking you even if they don’t even know you,
• being against you when they ask questions to clarify something you said or did,
• or generally seeing the majority of people in your life as being against you and your ideas.

You might examine your heart before GOD.  Ask Him to open the eyes of your heart to see the truth of what is there.  He can heal your soul in ways that only His forgiveness truly can.

May GOD help us this week as we memorize this passage.  Let us be amazed at His Creation and His greatness.  Let us also be dumbfounded at His love and provision for us, His people.  It is humbling to think that this GOD would be aware of us!

Thanks be to GOD!

**If you want help to print out these verses for memorizing them, go to http://BibleGateway.com  They have any Bible passage in almost any version you could want.  It is a wonderful, useful website!  I use it all the time.