31 Virtues for our Kids ~ Respect

Respect (for self, others, authority)

For the month of January we will be praying for 31 Virtues for our Kids maybe even for ourselves too!

1 Peter 2:17 (New International Version)
Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Man, sometimes I wish some kids had even a once of respect these days. Respect seems to be hard thing to come by in this generation. It is kind of sad in my opinion. It also is hard to teach my kids to be respectful when other children around them lack it.

I really like how the complier of this list clarified respect for self, others and authority. Too many times I find, working with teenagers, that they do not respect themselves. They care too much about what others think about them that they do not care about their own character.

Not only should we respect those that we like, but give respect to those we don't care for. We must show the love that God has called us to. This is very hard at times to do...I ain't gonna lie.

Then I Peter also tells us to respect God and those in authority. We need to teach our children to give respect to our leaders even if we do not agree. I think there is an aspect of teaching our kids to give reverence to God our ultimate authority. God is our friend but He is also King. I find all too often at church that many kids don't know how to respect God's house and even God himself. It is our duty as parents to instill in them a holy reverence; but yet help them understand God friendship and love.

*Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as your Word commands."

Lord help me learn respect and give it and I will...

I love this picture of my daughter giving Gaston attitude. It makes me laugh because my daughter is not like that at all...we totally staged this picture.

*by Bob Hostetler, it is excerpted from Pray! magazine issue #4, 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Kids