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Proverbs tells us that “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches”, but biblical respect goes deeper than protecting our reputation or gaining the approval of other people. A man may ask whether he is respected at work, at home or within the church, yet there is an even more important question: what kind of man is he becoming before God? Respect that depends upon status, possessions, appearance or the opinions of others is fragile. Biblical respect begins internally and flows outward. It is first an attitude of the heart before it becomes an action visible to those around us.
Colossians brings us immediately to the foundation of that respect – the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the Creator of all things and the One in whom all things consist. He is the head of the church and is to have the pre-eminence in everything. Respect therefore begins vertically before it moves horizontally. When Christ is rightly recognised as Lord, our understanding of authority, humility, service and relationships begins to change. We learn to honour others not simply because of who they are, but because of who Christ is and because our lives now belong to Him.
Paul then brings that truth into everyday relationships. Believers are told to put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness and, above all, love. These qualities are tested not in theory but in fellowship, marriage and family life. Husbands are called to love their wives rather than control them, and fathers are warned not to provoke their children to discouragement. A Christian man cannot speak respectfully to customers or church members while treating his wife and children with contempt and still claim to understand biblical respect. The home is one of our closest training grounds, where Christlike character must become visible through sacrificial love, listening, patience and consistent humility.
The same principle follows us into the workplace and into our witness before those who do not yet know Christ. Whatever we do is to be done heartily as unto the Lord, with integrity even when nobody is watching. Our speech is to be gracious and seasoned with salt, creating a thirst for something greater rather than driving people away. Respect is therefore not a cultural fashion that changes with the times. For the Christian man, it is a Christlike quality that begins with a heart submitted to the supremacy of Jesus, is practised in our closest relationships and is proven through the ordinary conduct of daily life. If we want to become men worthy of respect, we begin not by demanding it from others, but by learning to reverence Christ and allowing His Word to shape the men we are becoming.
Biblical respect begins vertically with reverence for Christ and then moves horizontally into our relationships. It is first an attitude before it becomes an action. The man who understands the supremacy of Christ should increasingly demonstrate that truth through humility, love, integrity and gracious conduct in church, at home, in the workplace and before the wider world.
Take some time to consider where respect is most clearly seen – or perhaps missing – in your own life. Ask the Lord to shape your heart first, then consider one practical way you can show greater Christlike honour to someone in your family, church or workplace this week.
