Where's your respect?

If you find that you have become complacent with God's commands and have become comfortable in your sin, you are completely isolated from God's holiness. Take time to meditate upon the awesome holiness of God and allow the Holy Spirit to instill into your life a proper reverence for Almighty God (Isa. 40:12–26). A deep sense of awe is essential to knowing God.
- Blackaby  Experiencing God

I tend to agree with what he said in today's devotional.  I have to admit that I have struggled a great many years in my walk with God concerning who I am to be.

It's interesting that yesterday's Our Daily Bread focused on the looking at things in the rearview mirror.  'Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear'.

Sin is much closer than it appears to be.
Sin affects our ability to have a close relationship with God.  Sin taints our perception and perspective. 

Many times a battle wound is no longer felt because of shock or nerve damage.  It doesn't mean the wound doesn't exist.  It means it's worse than it appears to be.

When we lose sight of the fact that we need a reverence for God, a healthy respect for who and what He is and that we are not then there's a problem. It means we are no longer sensitive to the damage.

I agree also with something else Blackaby said of the fact that we are taught not to fear God, but that He is our equal.  Lest anyone get that idea, stop. He is still God and we are not.

Yes, we are adopted, co-heir's, but we are not to lose our respect for who Jesus is.

As I said, what God shows me, I am to share. This is as much to me as any of you.  Jesus isn't just some great buddy.
He's not up there somewhere.  He isn't in my back pocket when there's trouble.

Jesus is God.  I am not.

When you go into a Court of law, your lawyer is not your equal.  The Judge certainly is not your equal.

A lawyer is an advocate on your behalf.
You are at all times to be respectful of their position and authority.

Jesus is our advocate.  He is to be respected at all times.  Yes He calls us brothers and sisters in Him.  Yes we are considering to be children of God.  But I can promise you, when I was growing up, if I ever disrespected my Parents or Grandparents, respect was going to happen. God deserves no less.

If there's sin that you are ok with, then you indeed have a problem of respecting God.

If there is sin that doesn't bother you, you indeed have a problem of respecting God.

Sin should bother us. Sin bothered God enough for Jesus to die for it. We shouldn't shrug it off. 

Our sins are ever present in our rearview mirror.  But the road ahead is where we are going.  If you have no respect for the law or the very road you travel on, you will pay a penalty. 

You think it's any different with God?
Like I said this hits me too.  I do sit with Jesus every day to talk and during the day.  It's a growing relationship.  But I need to remember He is God and I am not.

Things that happen to us aren't necessarily due to sin. But rather to keep our reliance on Jesus and not ourselves.  He often allows things to happen to protect us, not to punish us.  His perspective is far more than our limited local view.  That broken window yesterday on my car? An inconvenience yes. Hard to take, sure. But looking back at a similar incident with my truck that I had. Jesus was making sure that a greater problem was being taken care of by allowing this to happen. I may never know what was avoided but I have to trust His judgment.
I must respect His decision.  He is God and I am not. 

Not everyone can accept that. There are those who blow up, get angry, throw things...get mad at someone, God even.

But why? Because it shows that indeed He is God and we are not.  He is in control.  He knows what is best.  To trust in another is to have a respect for them and their abilities.

Life isn't always what it seems to be.

All I could do yesterday was make an appointment to get it fixed.  Take pictures and clean up the mess. Adjust to what needs to happen for a few days and get on with what Jesus wants me to do. 
There's no reason to ask Him 'But why?'.

If I trust Him then I trust Him.

We don't need to hear "Because I said so." From Him like we heard growing up.

So where do you stand with respect to respecting God?

Blackaby also rightly says "We promote Him as a “best friend” who saves us and “lives in our hearts,” but we do not fear Him."

Where is your heart today?
Where is the respect due to your Savior?

For me this remains something that I frequently consider each day.  I hope you do too.