| [Show open] Cielo Sicad Mom, did you talk to me about respecting elders when I was a baby or something? Natalie Fitzpatrick What are some things you can say when you want something ? Cielo Sicad “Please” and “thank you.” Natalie Fitzpatrick Yeah, “please and “thank you.” JR Dongalen Did you know that when I was a kid, everyone used to tell me, “Oh, you have to respect your elders.” And they used to say that as a joke. They would say that so that I could just do whatever they want, but like, “respect your elders” actually means something. Cielo Sicad Yeah, it actually does. Natalie Fitzpatrick Is it a good thing or a bad thing to respect your elders? Cielo Sicad Good thing. JR Dongalen Do you remember the first time you were told “Respect your elders?” Cielo Sicad Yeah, it’s today. JR Dongalen Today? Natalie Fitzpatrick That’s right, because that’s exactly what we’re also going to be talking about. JR said, there may have been times people used it as a joke, but when I was taught that it was more to make sure that I was treating people with respect and being open and honest with them and making sure that I had a good relationship with them. What about you, Cielo? When you’re talking to your parents, for example, do you show them respect? Cielo Sicad I kind of forget, but they always tell me to. Natalie Fitzpatrick Those are good reminders. And at home, what other manners do they teach you? Cielo Sicad To say “please” and “thank you” when I want something. Natalie Fitzpatrick When they’re talking to you, do you listen carefully or do you ignore them? Cielo Sicad I listen carefully, but I just forget about them sometimes. JR Dongalen That’s why it’s important to be reminded, right? Cielo Sicad Yeah. JR Dongalen We listen attentively, and they know the best for us, right? The elders and our parents Cielo Sicad True. Natalie Fitzpatrick And I was a kid too, I also didn’t fully understand what that was supposed to mean. I think when I was Cielo’s age, for example, if somebody told me to respect my elders, I thought that would just mean saying “please” and “thank you” JR Dongalen Yeah. Natalie Fitzpatrick Maybe as I got a little bit older, holding the door for them when we’re going inside of a building, or holding it for them when we’re leaving the building, that could also look like greeting somebody whenever you pass them instead of avoiding eye contact, that type of thing. And even now that I’m a lot older, Cielo, I’m so sorry. I’m almost… I think I’m more than 20 years older than you. This is so strange for me. Cielo Sicad Some people, some of my friends, kind of says that to me, but just like not the same number as yours that you talk to. Natalie Fitzpatrick We’re all different ages, aren’t we? Cielo Sicad Yeah, Natalie Fitzpatrick Yeah. That’s okay. Is your sister older than you or younger than you? Cielo Sicad She’s older. Natalie Fitzpatrick Do you also respect her, and do you also listen to your older sister? Cielo Sicad Sort of, but like, but when she gets mean to me, I don’t really do. Natalie Fitzpatrick When she’s mean to you, you don’t listen to her? Cielo Sicad TYeah. Natalie Fitzpatrick How do you talk to her, then? Cielo Sicad I just like, try this. I guess, wait until it’s my turn to talk. Natalie Fitzpatrick Wow, you’re patient. That’s a great value to have. Cielo Sicad Oh yeah, my sister is, like, the eldest kid in there, so that’s why she’s always in charge when Mommy and Daddy’s gone. When she’s gone, then I’m in charge. JR Dongalen And that’s when you’re the elder of the house, right? Cielo Sicad Yeah. Natalie Fitzpatrick Do you make sure your little brother listens to you too? Cielo Sicad Actually, he never listens to me that much, because he doesn’t know the first thing about respecting elders. Natalie Fitzpatrick And why is that? How old is your little brother? Cielo Sicad Three years old. Natalie Fitzpatrick Three. Okay, so he’s still young. He’s still learning. JR Dongalen Hopefully he sees this. Cielo Sicad I mean, he’s just like, he’s just a kid. He’s just a toddler, a little toddler. Natalie Fitzpatrick What are you gonna teach your little brother about respecting elders? How are you gonna help him? Cielo Sicad I’m gonna tell him about the advice to respect elders, to treat people like you want to be treated. They love us. If they’re too old and too weak to do something, then we should help them. Natalie Fitzpatrick That’s right. Cielo Sicad Like children. Natalie Fitzpatrick Yeah, because they take care of us all the time, right? So we should also take care of them too. Cielo Sicad Yeah, I mean, your elders take care of you, so you need to take care of them when they’re old. JR Dongalen Yeah. Natalie Fitzpatrick I love that. Yeah. Cielo Sicad Respecting elders is a good thing for others. You need to be kind to them. JR Dongalen If you get advice from your parents, let’s say it’s advice that at first you’re like, really, like, do I have to listen to that? Like, “Get off your iPad and go to sleep.” Now, sometimes we’re like, “Oh, I want to keep playing.” Right? If we feel upset about something. I remember as a troublemaker kid that I used to be like, “Why do I have to do that?” Bang the floor, I would shut the door really hard. I’d be like, “Oh why are my parents like this?” Do you think that’s a good thing to do when you get advice? Cielo Sicad No, they know best for you. JR Dongalen Yeah, that’s right. Cielo Sicad If you sleep, you get more energy for tomorrow. Natalie Fitzpatrick Yeah. Cielo Sicad But if there’s, like, Church, and then you say, “No, I don’t want to sleep.” And then you stay up late, and you’ll like sleep at the church, and kidsdo that, you will miss out all the learning to do. JR Dongalen So, like, what’s the lesson? Like, we shouldn’t be upset when we get advice from our parents or from our elders, right? Because, I mean, they’re doing everything with love, and of course, like it is part of our Christian value that we listen to our elders and to our parents, we should love and listen to them, right? Cielo Sicad It’s true, you need to respect your elders. Natalie Fitzpatrick We don’t get mad when they remind us what we’re supposed to be doing or how we supposed to we’re supposed to act. So if you can say something to your parents right now, what’s something you would be happy that you learned from your parents? Cielo Sicad Respecting other people. Natalie Fitzpatrick Just to take away from what JR was saying too. Like, I really do think it’s important for us to acknowledge that our elders have actually taught us a lot growing up. Because sometimes the advice we get can be harmful. That’s what we learned. But when it is good advice, or when we have people in our life like our parents, our older brothers and sisters, maybe it’s the officers in church or even a minister or a teacher, they’re not there to just help us and lead us into a direction that has no purpose. Like they’re there guiding us to make sure that we’re always following God’s will. We’re being taught and reminded of what it means to be a good Christian too. Because I think it’s easy to forget in the world we live in, like you go to school, you’re surrounded by people that don’t share the same values all the time. Brother Donald Pinnock But what does it actually mean to respect your elders, and how deeply rooted is it in every aspect of our lives? Well, it depends on who the elders mentioned are referring to. If it is parents, then yes, children should respect them, as we can read here in Ephesians, 6 verses 2 to 3: Respect your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise added: “so that all may go well with you, and you may live a long time in the land. Brother Donald Pinnock So definitely, when it comes to children, they should respect their parents, being their immediate elders, but they’re also church elders or officers, who should also be respected. According to I Peter 5 and the verse is 5,let us read. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Brother Donald Pinnock So most definitely, when it comes to the members of the Church, especially the younger members, they should respect their elders, the officers, the administration, those who are immediately overseeing them, and also as Church Of Christ members, we should love one another, because this also entails respecting one another. The Lord Jesus Christ teaches as such here in John 13, the verses are 34 to 35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. Brother Donald Pinnock So respect for one’s parents, respect for church officers and even those older than ourselves, is a very important trait that we should not only possess but also nurture or develop. Brother Donald Pinnock We should also ask God through prayer to grant us a humble heart and to discern how we can respect others without prejudicing God’s teachings that should govern our life and we can be assured that God will hear and answer our prayers, as we can read here in Psalms, 145 and the verses are 18 to 19. GOD’s there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it. He does what’s best for those who fear him-hears them call out, and saves them. Brother Donald Pinnock We should all remain prayerful in asking the Lord our God for what we need, not just maturity, but also spiritually, so that we can remain in His loving embrace all the days of our life.
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