Quick question: is it actually possible to respect someone without love?
Many might argue that it is in fact impossible to respect someone without being in love with that person or having love for that person to some extent. After all if you truely love someone, you should be able to care for them, understand them, and of cause respect everything about them.
One thing we should understand is that love and respect are two different things, with different meanings.lets look at the definition of both before we go further.
Respect: A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something, or a supernatural being elicted by their abilities, qualities or achievement. Which means one could have respect for another person based on their achievements and position. In the same way we could also admire someone deeply which in turn leads to respecting that person. Now you dont know about their life style, like how they eat, what they love doing as hobbies etc. You give them that respect because you admire them for a particular thing they have accomplished. The same way most Christians would say they love God with all their hearts, yet they do things that goes against the will of God. The same way they could dress indecently to various occasions but decide to dress decent to church out of respect that its the House of God.
Love: A strong feeling of deep affection. Love means to be deeply committed and connected to someone or something, love means to put others first before yourself. Love means sacrifice, to be committed, even when the person is absent without seeing it as a burden or stress. In other words if i truely love someone, i dont have to follow their rules only when they are around out of respect, i also have to follow their rules even in their absence. Love means even when i know their bad habbits and weakness, i still have to love and respect them.
in the Christian society today, many belivers would claim to love God, they actually believe they love God with all their hearts. Yet they find it hard and difficult to carry out God's will. Same way in the world today many of us can easily confess our love for others, yet we find it hard to defend them in their absence.
John 14:21 KJV
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
We mistake respect for love, it is impossible for someone to love you without having respect for you, but it is very possible to show respect without love. We cannot fully keep God's commandments because that love is not there, we find it difficult to obey because that genuine love is missing, a man can respect you but not love you. But when a man loves you, every other thing follows. And respect comes automatically.
Lets be honest with ourselves, not every one actually likes Their president. And there are various reasons for that, it could be based on how he rules, you may not like him for the kind of policy he brings, or it could be the fact that you feel he is not doing a good enough job. Or in most cases you just dont like them.
What happens if he calls you for an appointment or contract? Am very sure you would dress your best that day and would try everything possible to be on time. Then what happens when he actually gives you that contract? Oh am sure you would be exicted about it, you will surely thank him, say how much you love and admire his government. But what happens when you hear others talk bad about him? Am sure you wouldn't be interested in defending him, because deep down you dont love him. Yes you respect the fact that he is the president, you repspect the fact that he gave you an appointment, you respect him/her for what they have achieved, but you dont love him to the point that you are willing to defend him in his absence.
When true love is involved? Am sure you have heard of cases where by fans fight each other, now their idols dont even know they exist yet they go extra miles to fight and defend their names. They are willing to do and say anything to protect them. When there is true love you can do anything.
Respect has boundaries
True love has no boundaries