The significance of honor (Part 2)
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10
Honouring God and people means esteeming and recognizing their intrinsic worth. Dishonor means disgrace, shame, or thinking the other person is "worthless." In Part 1, it was mentioned that we dishonor someone by exposing their mistakes and weaknesses. In particular, life and death are in the power of the tongue. Speaking ill of others dishonors people.
As the devil appears in Genesis 3, his first attack is a slander against God's character and nature. This is the first instance of dishonoring God. Our enemies still use the same old tactics to make us doubt God and therefore feel that God is worthless. For most people, it is difficult to see Jesus as King since we must first acknowledge our authority and lordship over our lives in order to honor God. If we do not see the value of His sacrifice, the price he paid on the cross, and the incredible value of being His sons and daughters, then it is very difficult for people to honor and follow him.
This is why humility brings honor. “A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.” Proverbs 19:23, Jesus exemplifies humility with great examples by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus was elevated to the highest place of honor and given the name above all names. (Philippians 2:9) Honor comes from the heart and is an outflow of God's reverence; walking in honor means obeying God all the time and doing the right thing.
As honor comes from our hearts, so dishonor could reveal our identity issues resulting in shame, rejection, and insecurity, or the wounded souls causing strife, hatred, anger, and bitterness, or our pride that prevents us from seeing value in others. It is vital that the Holy Spirit heals our souls so that we can be healthy and whole.
It is certainly difficult to hold our tongues if dishonorable incidents occur regularly at work or at home, whether in private or in public. My suggestion is to operate from the opposite spirit, which is love. By gossiping and exposing others' mistakes, we hurt different parties simultaneously, namely ourselves, the listeners, and people we speak ill of. By exposing others to a public channel like social media, we may harm hundreds and thousands of people. Instead of slandering or venting in vain, we need God's wisdom for a healthy confrontation in love.
By honoring God and people, we will be rewarded by Him, so it is time to own our responsibility to cut off the enemy's dishonoring spirit, so we can walk in love and honor people with an honorable attitude, words, and deeds.
Blessing prayer: May we honor God and one another with kindness, affection, and love. We pray that we can operate in the spirit of love so that we can speak the truth in love without hurting others. In Jesus' Name, Amen
