Honor

My church in Sanford, Florida is beginning a series of classes on parenting from a Biblical perspective.  The word "honor" was noted to be a foundational Biblical concept when it comes to relationships.  So, of course, this got me chewing on the word in my own life.  What is honor?  When have I experienced it?  When have I shown it to others? 

I remember reading a chapter in Love Is A Decision, a book by Gary Smalley, that translates the greek word for honor in the Bible as "weighty" or "heavy."  In other words, to honor your father and mother is to take them seriously, to accept their presence, words, and directions as of great value to you.  This makes sense because the heaviest and most valuable of metals used in Biblical times was gold.  Interestingly enough, Smalley points out that the greek word for dishonor is translated literally as "mist" or "vapor."  It means that when we dishonor people we treat them as insignificant, unimportant, and as if they are of no value to us.

When leading the palbearers through graveyards on the way to the burial place for the body of one of God's children, I take great care to lead the group to walk around the gravesites, not directly over them.  It is a way that we show respect for the lives each person lived, a way to honor the memory of one God took great care to create and to lead, one Jesus died and rose to save. 

Jesus has honored us in a tremendous way.  Jesus gave himself over to the torture and death of a cross for the forgiveness of our sins and rose from the dead to open the door to new life in him!  In other words, he wanted us to experience life in him so much that he was willing to lay down his life!  John records Jesus as saying,"Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."  Jesus honored us, treated us as valued, and desires that we find life by valuing him as our saving God above all else. 

How do we honor God?  Place no other priorities in front of our prayer and worship of God. When we work, strive for excellence as an act of worship, not merely to please our boss or customers. When we play, do so with all of the joy we can muster, giving thanks for God's gift of life. Relate to people and all created things as belonging to God's family.  In Philippians chapter 2 Paul writes,"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus...(vs. 3-5)."  Maybe it looks like paying close attention to someone when they are talking to you, facing them squarely, making good eye contact, quieting the thoughts of your mind so that you can focus on what they are saying.  Maybe it looks like talking to a child on their level, instead of talking to them from above.  Maybe it looks like finding small ways to show your loved ones you care.

I don't know about you, but I've got some work to do in these areas.  "Gracious God, give us strength and grace to honor you above all and to honor others as you have honored us.  We can't do it without the power of your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, our savior, amen."

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