During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide and Student Page, can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Before class cut or tear out the situations at the end of the lesson.
Show proper respect to everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respect for God. Honor the emperor. Slaves, obey your masters out of deep respect for God. Obey not only those who are good and kind. Obey also those who are not kind. Suppose a person suffers pain unfairlybecause they want to obey God. This is worthy of praise.
1 Peter 2:17–19, NIrV
It is easy to agree that respecting authorities is right, but it is not always easy to do. How easy is it to respect someone who is weak or corrupt or even evil? In those circumstances, we may feel that we are justified if we do not respect the person. However, God’s Word clearly tells us to honour and respect even those who are not good or kind. Do we do this simply by forcing ourselves to? No! God wants to transform us by His Spirit so that we can truly honour and respect others, even when it is difficult.
The powerful Holy Spirit who lives in you can help you to show respect even when it is hard. In choosing to respect others, even when it is difficult or painful, we honour and respect God. Ask Him to transform your heart so that you can show respect even in difficult circumstances.
Let families know that this week their children are learning to show respect even when it is difficult. Families can ask their children to share what they learned this week.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Welcome each child warmly as she arrives. Model respect by calling each child by name.
For the past few weeks we have been learning about respect. Get into groups of 3–4. Each group will have 3 minutes to create a rap or chant about what you have learned about respect. Then each group will have a minute to share it with the class.
Only give the groups 3 minutes to prepare their raps or chants. The reason they only have 3 minutes is so that they work together quickly. This will also allow time for each group to share with the class. If you have a large class, have the groups pair up and share with each other instead of sharing with the whole class.
When the sharing time is over, clap for everyone.
Wonderful job sharing what you know about respect! Today we will talk about showing respect when it is difficult.
What would make it difficult to show respect to someone?
Allow 2–3 children to share their thoughts.
It is hard to show respect to people who treat you badly or whose actions are wrong. It is hard to show respect to people or groups of people whom others disrespect. Yet Jesus respected everyone, and He wants us to respect everyone too. Listen again to a Bible verse you heard a few weeks ago:
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
1 Peter 2:17
Some of you may remember learning about Nehemiah. He was a Jewish man who was born in a foreign country because his people had been taken captive. Nehemiah became an important servant of the foreign king. Even though Nehemiah lived in a foreign country, he cared about the city of his ancestors, Jerusalem. When he heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down, he was very sad. He prayed to God for wisdom. Then he asked the king if he could travel to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.
The king gave him permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls. He sent Nehemiah with army officers and horsemen.
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he inspected the city. Then he spoke with the leaders about why he had come. Listen to what he said:
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
Nehemiah 2:17–18
The people agreed that they should rebuild the walls. So they began to do that difficult work.
However, when the governors of the nearby lands heard about what was happening, they were upset. They teased and insulted Nehemiah and the people who were rebuilding the walls. They even said that Nehemiah was rebelling against the king.
It would have been very easy for Nehemiah to become angry and to show disrespect to the men who were insulting him. But instead, Nehemiah spoke to the governors with respect. Let’s hear how Nehemiah responded:
I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
Nehemiah 2:20
In this hard situation, Nehemiah showed respect in his words. He did not insult the men who insulted him. He did not say rude things to them even though they had been rude to him. He did not accuse them of doing anything wrong even though the things they had said about him could have caused him to be put into prison or even killed. Instead, he was respectful in
his answer.
Sometimes it is hard to show respect to others. It is hard to show respect to someone who is doing something wrong or who is hurting you in some way. For example, if there is a leader who is corrupt, it may be hard to show him respect. Or if a family member beats you, it can be hard to show her respect.
It can also be difficult to show respect to a person when everyone else disrespects him. Listen to these verses that talk about honouring an authority even when he does not treat you well. The first verse is one we have heard before!
Show proper respect to everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respect for God. Honor the emperor. Slaves, obey your masters out of deep respect for God. Obey not only those who are good and kind. Obey also those who are not kind. Suppose a person suffers pain unfairly because they want to obey God. This is worthy of praise.
1 Peter 2:17–19, NIrV
How does this verse tell us to treat others?
With respect and obedience.
What reason does this verse give for us to show respect to others, even to someone who is unkind?
This verse tells us that obeying God and respecting others is worthy of praise. When we show respect to others, even when it is hard, our actions are good and right. They are worthy of praise. This does not mean that what the other person did is right, and it does not mean that person will change. But when we are in situations where it is difficult to show respect, we can remember that God loves us. He is in control. And if someone is hurting us or others, that person will answer to God for those actions.
Here are some little ways you can show respect:
Show gratitude for the good that the person does. For example, be grateful if a corrupt person shows kindness to children.
Compliment good things the person does. For example, compliment a family member who works hard to feed the family, even if he beats you.
Be truthful in what you say. Ask God to help you find good things to say to the person.
Divide the children into groups of 4–5. Give each group one of the situations you tore out before class. They will have 2 minutes to create a skit that shows how they can respond respectfully in their situation. After 2 minutes, have each group do their skit for the whole class. If you have a lot of children, you can write extra copies of the skits. It is okay if more than 1 group does the same skit.
Close your eyes. Imagine someone in your life whom you have a hard time respecting. Remember, you do not have to agree with this person’s actions. If this person has hurt you or others, showing him respect does not make what he has done right. God wants you to be safe. It is okay to tell a trusted adult if you are in a situation that is hurting you. Think about that person as you answer the following questions quietly to yourself.
Remember that being polite is a little way to show respect. Imagine your words and actions now. Picture the scene in your mind.
Give the children about 2 minutes to think quietly.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, there is space for children to record ways they can show respect.
Close class by praying over the children this blessing based on 1 Peter 2:17–19.
Blessing: May God give you strength and joy to show respect even when it is difficult. May you show kindness and respect to those who are rejected by others. May you honour God and your leaders.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
