[historia en español]

by Sharla Guenther

Have you ever been to a King or Queen's palace?  How would you act if you were invited there?  Would you run around and talk loudly?  Would you push your brother or sister and talk back to your parents?  Would you ignore the Queen if she talked to you?

I'm sure you would be on your best behavior.  You would listen to your parents, mind all your manners, say "please" and "thank-you", and be careful not to break anything.

One last question, why would you be on your best behavior at the Queen's palace?  Is it because the Queen is important and she has lots of nice things, and you just know that you are supposed to be good in a fancy place like that?

This lesson is about how we should behave in God's house.  Church is a special place where we learn more about God and worship him.  God doesn't actually live there because God is everywhere but it's one of the special places we can go just to honor him without any distractions of the outside world.

Have you ever noticed that people dress up when they go to church.  That's because people are trying to be respectful to God and to get ready to worship him.  Have you ever wondered why people close their eyes and bow their heads when they pray?  People do that so they can think about what they're praying to God and not looking and thinking about other things.  We bow our heads because God is our King and he deserves respect like a King and so much more!

When you are respectful you listen to others and treat others the way you want to be treated.  So how can you respect others at church?  By treating church like God's house and listening to your teachers and parents, by walking instead of running and using your quiet voice instead of your loud voice.

Sometimes in church there are special times that we're allowed to run around (in the church gym or a during a special lesson in Sunday School) and that's okay if the teachers or parents give you permission but otherwise we need to learn and listen to what the leaders say.

Your teachers spend lots of time getting ready for a special Sunday School lesson just for you.  They care a lot about each one of you and want you to learn important things that can help you.  It makes them sad and disappointed if you don't listen and that makes God sad.

When we respect others we are also respecting God.  So you may have guessed that we aren't just supposed to be good in church but everywhere!  Respecting everyone we pass by.  Since God is everywhere he can see how we treat others and if we are making them happy or sad.

There's a verse in the Bible (Romans 12:10) that says, love each other honestly and treat others better than you would treat yourself.

That means listening to your teachers at school, babysitters, parents and grandparents.  It also means respecting other people's things.  So when someone has a toy or book that you want it's not right just to take it away from them.  Ask them nicely and if they still don't want to share play with something else until they're finished.  I know that can be tough but that's what God wants us to do.

Start to think about respect everywhere you go (the grocery store, other people's houses, even restaurants).  Sometimes it's important to be on your very best behavior, but your parents understand you need play time and a time to be loud too.

So have lots of fun but just keep in mind that church is a special place to learn about God and we need to treat it just like a king's palace (because God is our king).  Listen to your parents and teachers, they love you and want the best for you and that's how you can make God happy!

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