A Dearth of Respect Bul 40

A. J. Cox
Thu Nov 13 11:40:52 MST 2008

                    A few weeks ago as I sat getting my hair cut at the local barber shop, a remarkable drama played out before my very eyes. A young mother had entered with two children in tow. Her son, who looked to be about six or seven years old, was in desperate need of a haircut. It soon became clear, however, that he did not want one. As they sat waiting for the other barber’s chair to open up, the boy’s tantrum increased. He did not want to get his hair cut, he declared, he wanted a toy! The mother sought to bribe the unruly child by promising to buy him a toy if he would get his hair cut. Finally, after a couple of minutes of watching this back and forth, the barber’s chair was vacated and the moment of truth had arrived. Who would back down? Who would blink first? The mother told her son to get in the barber’s chair. The boy stubbornly crossed his arms and shook his head in the negative. “Fine,” the mother declared in defeat, “we’re leaving.” As they left, it was clear to me who was really in charge. The two gray headed barbers just shook their heads, and one commented, with a slight grin, that he could have corrected the child’s attitude in no time at all. These gentlemen had come from a generation that did not tolerate youths disrespecting parents, elders, or authority. Now, they said, such spectacles as we had just witnessed were very common.

            Most people, especially school teachers, could share many similar anecdotes, which testify to the dearth of respect among young people today. What may account for the lack of respect among many of today’s children and young people? And, how might this tragic trend be corrected? The answer to these questions is essentially the same. It begins in the home. The Bible teaches that certain people and institutions deserve the utmost respect. For example, God commanded that the elderly be respected, when Moses wrote, “You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD” (Lev. 19:32). Government, with its rulers and representatives, and authority figures in society, such as teachers, deserve respect (Rom.13:1-7; I Peter 2:17). And, most importantly, God deserves our respect (Ps. 89:7; Heb 12:28). The place where children are to learn to respect these people and institutions is in the home. It is for this reason that such emphasis is placed upon children respecting and honoring their parents. Paul wrote, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:1-4). If children are not taught to respect their parents, who are the first authority figures in their lives, what are the chances that when they are older they will respect the elderly, school teachers, governing authorities, elders in the church, or God? This is the reason that such stiff penalties were levied against disrespectful children under the Law of Moses (Lev. 20-9; Deut. 21:18-21). Children who did not learn respect in the home would threaten to undermine the very foundation upon which society is built. This is precisely what we are seeing in our world today. Parents, if you want your children to live happy, productive lives, and if you want to help build a better world, demand respect from your children, and teach them to respect God, their elders, and those in authority.