R-E-S-P-E-CT

Victoria Osteen

Life can get so busy at times. 

It’s easy to get wrapped up in 

everything we have to do, 

plowing through the day and 

checking off our 

“to do” lists. But if we are going to have the strong 

and healthy relationships God desires for us, it’s 

important that we take time and think of ways to

keep the connections strong with our friends 

and family.

One thing I’ve learned is that showing respect 

to one another is one way to keep our 

connection strong. Now, we don’t always 

agree on everything, but because we value 

and respect one another, sometimes we just 

agree to disagree. We give each other space 

to be individuals, and we respect our differences 

as much as we value our similarities. We respect 

the fact that we each have our own views. 
We don’t allow differences of opinion to drive 
a wedge between us.

The moment you lose respect, you begin to say 

things you don’t mean. You just say things to 

prove a point or try to push buttons, and that 

only brings strife into your relationships. 

Once there’s a wedge of strife, the Bible says 

that the door is open to every evil work. In other 

words, strife opens the door to the enemy to 

wreak havoc on our relationships.

Close the door on the enemy by choosing to 

respect the people in your life. We all come 

from different backgrounds. We were raised 

differently. People just see things differently, 

so why should we get mad at each other over 

disagreements? In most cases, there’s a whole 

lot more that you do agree on than what you 

disagree on. Focus on the ways people add value 

to you. Choose respect and don’t let the little 

things rob you of the peace and joy God desires 

to give you through the relationships in your life!