by Doy Moyer<\/p>\n
Being made in God’s image requires that we respect (esteem) one another as fellow divine image-bearers. This stands under the “golden rule,” as stated by Jesus: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets<\/em>” (Matthew 7:12). The connection to loving neighbor as self should be noted in the phrase, “this is the Law and the Prophets<\/em>,” for Jesus said the two greatest commandments (love God and love neighbor as self) are the foundation of all the rest: “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets<\/em>” (Matthew 22:36-40).<\/p>\n Respect takes humility. Lack of respect shows itself in pride and self-acclamation. Yet having the mind of Christ, who emptied himself by coming in the flesh and dying on the cross, requires that we deny self and esteem others as more important. Paul wrote, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others<\/em>” (Philippians 2:3-4). To do good for the sake of others and at the sacrifice of self is a high calling, but it’s what our Lord did for us.<\/p>\n With this in mind, consider some areas in which we need to respect one another. We note up front that none of these are about defending sinful decisions. Rather, these are areas in which anyone may freely operate and have some level of expectation that others will show some respect.<\/p>\n We understand that all things ultimately belong to God, and He gives us material things to be in our charge. We also know that God expects us to be generous with what we have and share with those in need. We are not to trust in the uncertainty of riches, but in God (I Timothy 6:17-19). With that, there is still a sense in which what God provides is considered personal property, and we need to respect that. This is seen in the prohibition against stealing and coveting (Exodus 20:15, 17; Ephesians 4:28; Romans 13:9). God desires that we be good stewards, but we are not allowed to take what belongs to others (Cf. Deuteronomy 19:14).<\/p>\n Respecting what belongs to others extends to more personal matters. If, for example, there is an expectation of modesty in apparel, then we should grant that the body is private and not to be openly displayed to the world. There is privacy between husbands and wives (cf. I Corinthians 7:4). Further, we should respect what others wish to disclose or keep to themselves. The sin of gossip is a violation of this privacy trust. The stories of others are not ours to decide when and where to tell if we have not been given that permission. “A whisperer separates close friends<\/em>” (Proverbs 16:28) because there is a breach of trust that did not respect privacy. God gives us the right to keep private things private.<\/p>\n Not everyone is of the same demeanor and personality. Some are more outgoing, some less so. Some are more adventurous, some not so much. Personalities are vast and varied, and we need to protect those differences. No one should try to force others into their personality or think that others are inferior because they don’t show the same personality traits as others. Among the apostles, we can see personality differences, even seen in the gospel accounts or epistles penned by them. Not everyone is a Barnabas (Acts 4:36), a Peter, or a Paul, but we each can contribute and grow using what we have in our talent pool (cf. Romans 12:6-8).<\/p>\n As personalities differ, so do preferences. We cannot expect people to prefer everything exactly the same way, and we overstep the line if we try to force personal preferences on others. Working together requires that we sometimes deny what we might prefer, and sometimes we might need to give up rights for the sake of others and for peace (Romans 14). These differences should be seen within the context of God’s kingdom bringing in people from all nations and walks of life. Differences like this (not sinful) should be acknowledged and protected.<\/p>\n While we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28), we work in differing positions and are to function appropriately. Whether we are talking about the work of elders or parents, these positions come with special work that others need to respect. For example, no one would appreciate another stepping in presumptuously to act like a mother to a child who has a dedicated mother. Elders have oversight of a congregation, but would be out of bounds to assume that over other groups (I Peter 5:2). The positions we have do not make us superior to others, but they do require caretaking and accountability.<\/p>\n When we respect others appropriately as all are made in God’s image, we will be supporting the godly path toward peace, unity, and love, whether we are in a context of a church or a larger neighborhood community. Through respect, we become the citizens God wants us to be as we interact with others.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Doy Moyer Being made in God’s image requires that we respect (esteem) one another as fellow divine image-bearers. This stands under the “golden rule,” as stated by Jesus: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). The connection…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[197],"class_list":["post-90269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-respect"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":91596,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/love-your-neighbor-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":90269,"position":0},"title":"Love Your Neighbor (Moyer)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are first, to love God with all the heart, soul, strength, and might, and second, to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). These commandments are the basis for everything else God commands. It's not hard to see in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2115,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-is-john-the-baptist-the-last-prophet-in-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":90269,"position":1},"title":"Why is John the Baptist the last prophet in the Bible?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why is John the Baptist the last prophet in the Bible? (Luke 16:16) Answer: \"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it\" (Luke 16:16). \"From the days\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":93230,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-are-all-the-commands-we-must-keep\/","url_meta":{"origin":90269,"position":2},"title":"What are all the commands we must keep?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What are all the commands that we are called to obey under Christ? In 1st John, it states that the commandments are not burdensome, and it lists two commands throughout John's epistles. How many more commands do I need to follow? I want to make sure I'm not leaving\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35881,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-the-royal-law\/","url_meta":{"origin":90269,"position":3},"title":"What is the “royal law”?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was doing a short study on James 2:1-13 in being brief, I said: \"that the royal law is basically the law of Christ or the law of liberty which very much entails love.\" Do you think I have done justice to the passage by just stating that? Answer:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43092,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/honor-your-father-and-mother-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":90269,"position":4},"title":"Honor Your Father and Mother","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 6:1-3 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One of the Ten Commandments of the Old Law is brought to the New Law intact. It is the commandment to honor our parents \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The word \u201chonor\u201d in this passage means to fix a value on something, to consider it a prized\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13940,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/self-esteem\/","url_meta":{"origin":90269,"position":5},"title":"Self-Esteem (Hamilton)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 24, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Let me tell you about a man I know \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0He tells me that while he is not incapable, he is the most insignificant person in the group he associates with. Sometimes, he is ashamed to be connected with his friends because of the awful things that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90269\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Property<\/h2>\n
Privacy<\/h2>\n
Personality<\/h2>\n
Preferences<\/h2>\n
Position<\/h2>\n