Respect! Do you know it? Troubled Teens and Respect

You may know things about respect, but do you know it personally?  Troubled Teens do not know respect, obviously.  At Zion Educational Systems Leadership Program we teach troubled teens all about respect.  Knowing about something doesn’t mean you know anything real about it.  For example, you can study all about Berlin, Germany.  You can know everything there is to know about Berlin.  But until you have visited Berlin, or better yet, lived in Berlin, you only know “about it”, and you truly don’t know anything, personally.  To truly know anything about respect is to have exercised respect, and to truly know all about it is to know through experiencing Respect.  Until you’ve truly known respect, through experience, you only know about it, and therefore you don’t know squat.  I guess you know somewhat about respect by knowing how to be disrespectful.  But that’s like knowing about Berlin by reading a book about Berlin.  To be disrespectful is not even close to knowing respect. What happens when we are disrespected?  If you are a normal person you would say that you are offended, hurt, or perhaps you’d be very angry, which are all normal reactions to being disrespected.  What is disrespect?  There are many examples of disrespect, but what really is disrespect?  Mocking someone is a form of disrespect.  So, is mocking disrespect?  No, it might be disrespectful, but it doesn’t define disrespect entirely.  Is lying disrespect?  No, it too is a type of disrespect, and it certainly is disrespectful, but it doesn’t define the term “disrespect”.  If you ignore someone, is that disrespect?  It is without a doubt disrespectful to ignore, but it doesn’t rise to the level of defining the word disrespect.  So what is disrespect?  Why do I even ask?  I ask because most teens know all about disrespect, but know nothing about respect. Well let’s explore what “respect” is first, and then come back to defining “disrespect” later. Acts 28:9-11 “After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.  They also honored us with many marks of RESPECT; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.” Respect is a status that we can achieve, earn, lose, give away, and get back.  Wow… there is not much out there that can do all that.  For example, you can’t take a dollar bill and achieve it.  You can earn it, lose it, find it, give it away, and get it back, but you can’t achieve it.  Respect is a position where you can rise up to, protect, increase, and lose it entirely in a split second. Respect is a place where we can set a course to, journey to, and finally arrive only to find that you haven’t arrived at all, as there is always more to get.  Respect is a substance that is tangible, producing real material, can be leveraged, and is used to get more, can cause fear, and it can have measurable power.  Respect is something that we universally seek and there is more than enough to go around.  Respect is definable, but fluid, always able to change its shape and form, but still remain the same.  Respect is something that follows you, and can lead your way as it can open doors, provide opportunities, and deflect naysayers.  Respect is probably one of the most unique, yet universal, elements that can be seen but looks entirely differently to everyone.  Respect is an honor, and only those with integrity and power have true respect.