Whom Do You Respect?
Who earns your respect? Whom do you admire? Write down their names. You might be surprised who makes the list.
The people we respect are not necessarily well known, wealthy, or powerful. Many of them lead quiet lives that go unnoticed by the people around them.
True, we respect people who lead successful lives. We admire those who achieve their goals and acquire wealth. The rich get respect. But it's not the money we admire. We admire the qualities that made them successful. We don't respect someone for inheriting a large sum of money from a rich uncle, but we do admire the hard work, intelligence, and courage required to build a life from scratch.
Many of the most highly honored people in history were very poor. Mother Teresa comes to mind. Born in Macedonia in 1910, she lost her father at age nine and chose to spend her life helping the poor in the slums of India. She eventually helped start more than six hundred missions, schools, and shelters in more than 120 countries. She is quoted as saying, “If I look at the masses, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.” Some of the same qualities possessed by the self-made men and women were used by Mother Teresa to accomplish her goals.
Why do we respect qualities such as discipline, hard work, compassion, intelligence, wisdom, and courage regardless of how they are applied? Could it be because they reflect the nature of the God who created us? When we see these attributes in other people, we admire them because there is a religious instinct within each one of us that longs for the Creator who possesses these attributes to the fullest.
Whom do you respect? What qualities are you looking for in other people? Do you see these qualities in yourself? The God who made us possesses each of these attributes to an infinite degree, which is why he is worthy of all praise. In the words of David, “Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness” (Ps. 29:1-2).
Drew Kizer
