My desktop picture. The students at school always remark, "I didn't know Mr. Grinder could be affectionate!" Ha!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Honor
Our pastor gave an incredible sermon about honor yesterday. Basically, he defined honor in order to enlighten our continued study of 1 Timothy 4. He gave several reasons why he thought he ought to define honor for us. What struck home was reason 2: the engrained idea of rugged American individualism. So true! How unwilling we are as Americans to value others and their opinions (not necessarily agreeing) above ourselves!
"Who are you to tell me what to do?"
He gave a funny example from his own experience. One day, he said to his child, "I bet you don't know the meaning of honor." With a quizzical look on his face, the child answered, "What?" And then the pastor replied, "I bet that you were thinking, 'I know what honor is. Why does he think he has to tell me?'" And a sheepish grin appeared on the child's face proving that he had begun to understand.
He said something else that I have come to see play out as a teacher and hope to emulate as a parent one day. After challenging the young people, he talked to the parents about modeling honor for their children. At one point he said, "What do your children think of the political opposition, whoever they are? Do they think that they are merely wrong, or that they are idiotic jerks?" I think the same applies with modeling for other authorities. I have struggled with students not respecting school authority mostly because their parents have been unwise in speaking about that authority at home, or not honoring it themselves.
But as much as I gripe, I realize that I am going to need so much help in all these things when I become a parent- and even now in putting into practice Biblical honor. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound..."
"Who are you to tell me what to do?"
He gave a funny example from his own experience. One day, he said to his child, "I bet you don't know the meaning of honor." With a quizzical look on his face, the child answered, "What?" And then the pastor replied, "I bet that you were thinking, 'I know what honor is. Why does he think he has to tell me?'" And a sheepish grin appeared on the child's face proving that he had begun to understand.
He said something else that I have come to see play out as a teacher and hope to emulate as a parent one day. After challenging the young people, he talked to the parents about modeling honor for their children. At one point he said, "What do your children think of the political opposition, whoever they are? Do they think that they are merely wrong, or that they are idiotic jerks?" I think the same applies with modeling for other authorities. I have struggled with students not respecting school authority mostly because their parents have been unwise in speaking about that authority at home, or not honoring it themselves.
But as much as I gripe, I realize that I am going to need so much help in all these things when I become a parent- and even now in putting into practice Biblical honor. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound..."
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