Respect Yourself and Others (Romans 13:9)

Self-disparagement is not a Christian virtue.  If we have a poor opinion of ourself we will not have a very high regard for our neighbour.  It is when we have respect for ourself that we will hold in high regard others who are also God’s creation.

Self respect is not akin to self aggrandizment that allows pride to exalt us to the detriment of our spiritual life and robs us of those graces that should be the hallmark of a Christian disciple.  True self respect is created by the awareness that God loves us and that we are his children. This truth abolishes a cringing spirit and enables us to walk tall in the presence of God and man.

Self respect means maintaining a standard of dignity and conduct that is worthy of the Lord Jesus Christ upon whose life your life should be patterned.  When you see other people as God created them we will have a kind and positive attitude towards them.  We will no longer despise those whom the world classifies as our social inferiors nor envy those who consider themselves superior to us. We will see them all as people whom God loves.

We must respect ourself before we can respect other people, and we must experience God’s love flowing through our life before we can truly love other people.

Bro. David Yelulani (Banket, Zimbabwe)