This morning, after church, I found myself thinking about something I had never really admitted before. I told my wife, “I think the thing I dislike more than anything else is being disrespected.”
It surprised me to hear those words come out of my own mouth because, in all my years of preaching, writing, counseling, and pastoring, I don't think I've ever spoken on the subject of respect and disrespect. Yet, within twenty-four hours, that word surfaced twice.
The first time was when someone's attempt at humor came across as disrespectful. The second happened while I was visiting someone in a nursing home. An aide had patiently asked this very old man I was helping what he wanted for breakfast—several times, but he never responded. Hoping only to help, I read the menu aloud to him. He looked at me and sarcastically replied, "I know how to read. I'm ninety-seven years old." Then, turning to the aide, he said, "He thinks I'm an eleven-year-old who needs to be read to."
I gently explained that she had asked him several times already and that I was only trying to help. The conversation ended peacefully enough, but I walked away feeling something I hadn’t expected. I felt disrespected.
As I thought about it later, the Lord began reminding me that respect matters because people matter. Every person is created in the image of God. When we treat people with kindness, patience, and honor, we’re acknowledging the value God has placed on them. That’s why Scripture repeatedly teaches us to honor one another saying, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10 NIV)
Honor isn’t reserved only for those who deserve it. It’s a choice flowing from a heart that belongs to Christ. Respect says, “I recognize your God-given worth.”
The opposite is equally true. Disrespect often seems like a small thing—a sarcastic comment, a dismissive tone, rolling our eyes, interrupting someone, speaking harshly, or making another person feel small. Yet those moments can feel like a quick stab in the heart—a wound that lasts longer that we would have ever expected. James reminds us that our words carry tremendous power.
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness… My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” (James 3:9-10 NIV)
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that every one of us knows what it feels like to be disrespected. We remember those moments because they touch something deep inside us. We were created to be loved, valued, and treated with dignity. Yet this is where Jesus gently redirects our hearts.
No one who ever walked this earth was treated with greater disrespect than Jesus. He was mocked by soldiers, falsely accused by religious leaders, rejected by His own people, spat upon, beaten, and crucified. Yet Peter reminds us of His remarkable response.
“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23 NIV) Jesus didn’t deny the hurt. He simply refused to let disrespect determine His response. He entrusted His reputation, His dignity, and His justice to His Father.
That may be one of the greatest lessons for us. We should strive to show respect to everyone we meet because that’s the heart of Christ. At the same time, when others fail to show us that same respect, we don’t have to become bitter, defensive, or offended. We can remember that our true worth doesn’t come from the opinions or treatment of people. It comes from the God who calls us His beloved children.
Perhaps the simplest question we can ask ourselves each day is this: “Did the people I interacted with today leave feeling more honored and loved by God, or less honored because of the way I treated them?” Respect costs us very little, but it gives away something priceless. It reflects the heart of Christ. Never underestimate the quiet power of respect. It may seem like a small gift, but in God's hands, it has the power to reveal His love, preserve another person's dignity, and quietly change the course of a life.
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Prayer: Father, thank You for treating me with mercy, patience, and unfailing love. Help me to honor every person I meet because each one bears Your image. Guard my heart from becoming offended when I am treated unfairly, and teach me to respond as Jesus did—with humility, grace, and love. Let my words and actions make others feel valued rather than diminished. May my life reflect the honor You have shown me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
