The Power of Honor

Honor seems to be a lost virtue in our culture right now. It’s all over in politics, news, social media…you name it. And oftentimes, dishonor is treated as some sort of noble act of truth-telling…some people are even under the impression that if you don’t dishonor someone, they’ll dishonor you! But, here’s the thing- the Bible constantly links honoring people to miracle power. And, as believers, this should matter to us!

The Biblical words for honor mean “to add value,” “to add weight,” and “to treat people better than average.” Ephesians 6:2-3 says this: “honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: “if you honor your father and mother, things will go well with you and you will enjoy long life on the earth.” God promises a blessing that He’ll give us when we honor our parents! The act of honoring people is a gateway to the supernatural. And, the Bible gives similar arguments about honoring leaders, politicians, and employees, too.

But the question that always comes up around honor is simply this: What if people aren’t honorable? What if our politicians / leaders / bosses are awful? The Bible calls us to “give honor” regardless of any person’s behavior. And the fascinating thing about the Biblical concept of honor is that honor actually has very little to do with the person we’re giving honor to! Rather, its what honor does to us when we give it!

So, can we honor people who are dishonorable? How do we critique people in an honorable way? These are both possible! I actually created a document on how to do it! You can find it here.

Above all, it’s about the golden rule! Always treat people the way you’d want to be treated. No one gets away with sin – we all reap what we sow, and the more we come to understand this, the less we’ll worry about other people’s character! Honor is not about others, it’s about us! And when we choose to freely give it away, God will make sure “it will go well” with us. So, where do you need it to go well today?