Loving God Through Showing Respect
At Channel Christian School this term, we are focusing our attention on Loving God. What does that look like on a daily basis? Showing respect is one of the ways we show our love for God. Respect starts with small choices; using good manners, listening when others speak, and treating people the way we would like to be treated. The Bible reminds us that everyone is made in God’s image, so when we treat others with care and kindness, we are honouring Him.
One of the best ways we can show respect each day is by how we listen to and respond to our teachers. Listening well isn’t just about hearing the words. It’s about showing with our actions that we care. When we listen carefully to our teachers, we show that we value what they are saying and that we are ready to learn.
We show respect through our words and our body language. We say things like “yes, Mrs Smith,” we ask questions politely, or say “thank you” after instructions. Our body language can also show respect, like sitting up straight, keeping our eyes on the person talking, nodding to show understanding, and waiting our turn to speak and keeping our hands to ourselves. We call this 5 star listening.
It is not only up to our students though. As parents we can model respect and work with the school to embed respectful behaviours into our culture. We do this in the way we speak to our teachers, or about our teachers to others, by speaking kindly about others, listening carefully to children and teachers, and showing appreciation for the school community.
When we all practise respectful words and actions, we are showing love for each other and for God, who calls us to “do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14). Each time we choose respect, we shine God’s love in our school community. Thank you.
Margaret Louw - Principal
