Recover Your Identity as a Child of GodSample

Respect 

To respect is to recognize the image of God in other people. I recognize the image of God; therefore, I recognize the dignity of God in other people. When I have respect, I focus on the situations that are happening in life. I do not focus on individuals or attack them; I focus on what is happening without disregarding the image of God in them. 

When you are having a misunderstanding with someone, you do not have to get angry or insult them, because that person is already being hurt by their attitude. You should not react in the same way and hurt them. Focus on the issue and act without getting emotionally involved. 

When I live by the value of respect, I never see people for their degrees, achievements, race, economic status, culture, or physical appearance; I see the image of God in them. The lack of this value is the cause of racism, discrimination, differences in social classes, and contempt.

A lack of this concept causes someone to hurt someone else, or even a group, without remorse. When we do not understand the value that God has placed upon other people, we underestimate the work of the One who also created us. 

When we see someone else as a stranger, they become our enemy. When we do not see God’s image in someone else, we lose respect for them and treat them in an offensive way. Dignity and respect produce the right identity in us. If someone starts yelling at us, we do not have to start yelling back. Often, we fail to understand that rage in other people is caused by a lack of moral, spiritual, and emotional development. 

We are not called to live without dignity. We are children of God, and we have another purpose in life. We must express moral values and a higher life. That is what the transformation of the soul is all about: for us to live with the right identity in order to manifest what God expects from us.