Respect. Reflect.

Aretha Franklin sang a song calling for a little bit of respect.

What was she trying to get? She wanted people to listen to her voice.

At that time, to give an African American woman your undivided attention and truly listen to her voice was simply unheard of by the majority. Today, we still hear a lot about respect.

In most churches, there is an expectation for those entering the worship service to show respect to God. Many traditions exhibit this respect in many ways. This is all fine and dandy, I must admit. But, when it's time to spend time with God all by one's lonesome...

Do we give Him our undivided attention, a little bit of respect, in order to really hear his voice?

Out in the world, people live and look for respect. Each and every person has a desire for love and to be loved. We all want someone to know and to be known by someone else. There is an urge to serve and a longing to be served. All of us need to learn to forgive, but also to be forgiven. The image of God that exists in all of creation is distorted by sin.

By God's grace we can live a life of redeemed reality allowing us to reflect His image.

In a beautiful collision of humanity and the divine, we can once again reflect the picture of our Maker. Grace and mercy make us new and give us a different lens through which we can view the world. The blood shed and victorious resurrection of Jesus changes everything. Upon our acceptance of this reality, and repentance from sin; upon this response we receive the Holy Spirit.

In this, we can give God our undivided attention and hear His voice. Life is no longer defined by me, but by the Holy Spirit living in me. With His help, there is a chance to figure out how to show a little bit of respect.

The relationships shaping our world come from our respect of God and respect of humans.

When one is able to reflect the image of God in daily conversation, lives begin to change. Truth reigns in that place. Forgiveness fuels freedom. The outcast in welcomed in. True love is shown. Strangers are known. Out of respect for who God is and who the people around us are, we are able to reflect the only perfect picture of grace, mercy, and peace; the imago dei.

As we rush through our busy lives, I urge us all to take time to stop.

Learn to listen by being silent. Give another person the time of day it takes to truly be known. Forgive and be forgiven. Learn how to live. Have the nerve to humbly serve. Start showing love after receiving Jesus' love.

Begin showing respect so the image of God is what our lives reflect.