Respect!
Proverbs 22:5-6
“In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
It happened again! Last Friday I was called upon to officiate at a graveside service for an eighty-three year old lady. If you have attended graveside services, you may recall that there are a limited number of chairs reserved for the immediate family members. On Friday there were only eight chairs.
The funeral director seated the husband of the deceased and invited family members to come and be seated in the other chairs. Immediately four of the great grandchildren (ages, eight to eleven) rushed forward and seated themselves.
The parents of these kids stood with smiles on their faces, while relatives, some with obvious physical limitation were left standing. It was one of those times when I wanted to preach a sermon on children showing respect for their elders.
I have no idea why parents have lost control of their children, but they have. If we look into God’s Word we see that it is not the responsibility of the children, but the parents to establish direction. (Sometimes children seem to act more adult than their parents).
Is the situation hopeless? I don’t think so, but it certainly requires that we face the issue directly. We need to start sharing the powerful Word of God concerning the subject. It is not what some behavioral scientist has conceived, but what God ordains that the relationship with the younger generation will be.
As we read verse six in today’s Scripture, we see where the responsibility for preparing the next generation rests: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
As we watch the coverage of the Olympic Games, we are impressed by the skill and ability of the various athletes. Remember that this is not something they do without hours of training. In the field of music we may be blown away by the artistry of a performer without considering the years and years of practice required to become a performer.
We cannot change an entire generation to show proper respect, but we can start by being an example ourselves and encouraging others to do the same.
When was the last time you went out of your way to show respect to a clerk in a checkout line? When was the last time you picked up your phone to call someone who had impacted your life to tell them how much you appreciated them?
Respect is taught by God’s Word, but it is patterned by our actions. What actions have you been patterning?
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
Proverbs 22:5-6
“In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
It happened again! Last Friday I was called upon to officiate at a graveside service for an eighty-three year old lady. If you have attended graveside services, you may recall that there are a limited number of chairs reserved for the immediate family members. On Friday there were only eight chairs.
The funeral director seated the husband of the deceased and invited family members to come and be seated in the other chairs. Immediately four of the great grandchildren (ages, eight to eleven) rushed forward and seated themselves.
The parents of these kids stood with smiles on their faces, while relatives, some with obvious physical limitation were left standing. It was one of those times when I wanted to preach a sermon on children showing respect for their elders.
I have no idea why parents have lost control of their children, but they have. If we look into God’s Word we see that it is not the responsibility of the children, but the parents to establish direction. (Sometimes children seem to act more adult than their parents).
Is the situation hopeless? I don’t think so, but it certainly requires that we face the issue directly. We need to start sharing the powerful Word of God concerning the subject. It is not what some behavioral scientist has conceived, but what God ordains that the relationship with the younger generation will be.
As we read verse six in today’s Scripture, we see where the responsibility for preparing the next generation rests: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
As we watch the coverage of the Olympic Games, we are impressed by the skill and ability of the various athletes. Remember that this is not something they do without hours of training. In the field of music we may be blown away by the artistry of a performer without considering the years and years of practice required to become a performer.
We cannot change an entire generation to show proper respect, but we can start by being an example ourselves and encouraging others to do the same.
When was the last time you went out of your way to show respect to a clerk in a checkout line? When was the last time you picked up your phone to call someone who had impacted your life to tell them how much you appreciated them?
Respect is taught by God’s Word, but it is patterned by our actions. What actions have you been patterning?
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
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