Respect is Love

Great nations built from the bones of the dead
With mud and straw, blood and sweat,
You know your worth when your enemies
Praise your architecture of aggression

~Megadeth~

I sell tools to mechanics for a living. The tattoo above belongs to Tony, one of my preferred customers. As you might expect, he is respectful, respectable and respected. Like most men I know, you know what to expect with Tony. Respect. Men respect men because they are men.

But the ladies may not have this intuitive understanding. Some of the fairer sex may not realize that when men are asked to choose between, "Would you rather feel alone and unloved OR would you rather feel inadequate and disrespected by everyone?" 75% choose alone and unloved.

Now I should mention that in this survey by Shaunti Feldhann (in For Women Only) many men felt there was no real choice, because respect is love. Is everyone beginning to understand why we have gender specific commands in Eph 5:22 and Eph 5:33?

So, ladies, you probably want to know how to avoid disrespecting the men in your life. That is kind of tricky, because different guys are offended by different things. Therefore you will probably treat him with a lack of respect at some point. How will you know? Here is your clue: Watch his countenance. Disrespect is often met with anger. Sometimes that anger manifests as a change of tone, sometimes as silence, and sometimes as walking away. If you see these responses, you may be able to figure out which things push his button.

Think about what Tony said about this topic, "Without respect, there is nothing to build on."
Can I get an Amen?

In my next installment, I'll try to deal with giving respect.