Love and Respect: Where Has It Gone?

Okay, many of you may be aware that I posted on facebook last night that I was conducting my first wedding ceremony. Well I have some thoughts and I would like to share them with you.


Now I am not one that likes to use my title to get me any kind of favors however, I do think that just as you respect someone in the secular world with a title of CEO or VP or President, Manager etc. you should respect the titles that God has chosen to give to those he selected to be in the fivefold ministry. Better than that any one that God has given his extended authority to.

So with that said, I was honored and thrilled that my friend from my childhood thought to ask me to marry her to her fiancé. YES, I was honored. We did six months of marriage counseling (pre-marriage). I was even given the opportunity to pray with them as they both accepted Christ into their lives. What a joy.

Yesterday, when I arrived at the small church where they were being married in front of about 50 guests. I was greeted by a young woman, who told me she was my personal assistant for the day. Anything and everything I needed she would make it happen. As she handed me some cold water to drink without me asking for it, now this young woman had to be about 17 or 18 years old. She was so respectful and very attentive to me. She escorted me to the office where I was to wait until the ceremony started. She asked me if there was anything I needed. She gave me a run don of the events on that day. She announced every guest that came to see me. I think you understand she made me feel very comfortable.

The next thing that was the makeup artist, she asked me if she could touch up my makeup. She said it would be an honor to serve you. She did a lovely job on my makeup too. She made me look wonderful.

Then at the reception, many of the guest there I had went to Junior high or high School with and they knew me when i was all bad nothing good came near or was in me. I was a member of the church but I was not trying to be a Christian by any means. I was in gangs, carried a knife and gun and fought just because I could. Get the picture, if anyone should have been leery of my new life it would be these people. They accepted me for who I was. They (most of which are not in church) would not curse in my presence, the Bride and groom did not serve liquor because they knew I was going to be there and did not want anyone to be drunk in my presence. I mean these people showed me love and respect.

Not because I was Linda but because I represented God. MAN that is so awesome to me. They respected the title that God gave me more than others that should understand the title and the authority God has given to those that wear the title. I must admit their respect for God caused me to want to be a better representative of God.

So I was thinking, if Christians would stop trying to point fingers and judge those God has appointed with assignments to preach, teach, prophesy, build, rebuke, equip and etc. the body of Christ and start showing the Love and respect that is due to the title God has given. Would the men and women that carry the title want to do better? I think so.

I mean titles are nothing; we are people just like you, however, even though your CEO is a person just like you still respect him. You still whether you like him or not give him the respect of the title. You may not agree with what he says or does, you may even know that he was a weasel before getting the title however, when it comes to his position you allow him to serve according to his title but we in the church have lost that respect.

Yesterday, I was reminded that there are still those that respect God enough that they are willing to extend that respect to the representatives of God. It took what we call sinners, to remind me of how we should treat one another and expect to be treated in return. Yes, I am just like you but I have a calling on my life that shows that God has trusted me with a portion of his authority. So I will never throw around my title, however, I will always respect those that God has chosen to give a title to.

Just my thoughts.