A culture rich in honor considers others better than themselves. Recently I was in Tallahassee coaching the emerging leaders on How to Create a Personal Life Plan. God has placed so much treasures in these men’s lives and such great callings that if we help each one fulfill their purpose they will in return help many others fulfill their purpose. The end result – a rippling effect of sons who are fitted with their sandals ready to go to work in God’s harvest. At the end of our session we had a time of ministry anointing the feet of each emerging leader and praying for them that they would live their purpose and walk out their destinies. It doesn’t matter where you have been or where the other person have been, we honor those we serve above ourselves. Honor is defined as “to esteem, to admire, to look up to, to defer.”
Jesus addresses a culture of honor in the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18. They both went to the temple to pray; the Pharisee practiced religion thanking God he didn’t have all the sins the tax collector had while the tax collector was beating his breast “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” The Pharisee probably with his nose turned up was saying “thank God I’m not like him!,” while the tax collector humbly bowed his knees and prayed “Lord, have mercy on me!” As the body of Christ we are not self-focused or internally focused, we consider the higher call and greater good of others. When we esteem, admire, look up to others as more honorable than ourselves it keeps us humble. “A striking thing about actual honor cultures is people will regard as honorable what they honor, and dishonorable what they despise, irrespective of what moral and political leaders tell them they ought to honor or despise” (James Bowman). We all want to be honored, yet the paradox is, when we are humble and honor others, then we are exalted. In the kingdom of God a culture of honor is permeated through humble souls, devoted to one another in love.
Who can you intentionally honor this week?
What are some things you can do to show this person you prefer them above yourself?
You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.~ James 3:18 (TM)
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.” ~ Rom 12:10 (NASB)