I was on vacation this week and hoping to spend some time studying and preparing for today’s message. Wednesday was gray and dreary, the clouds were full of rain and mist, and the lawn was wet with the smell of fall. It was the kind of day when you just want to cover up under a big heavy blanket and watch some football or a good movie.
Becky and I were at home eating a lunch she had painstakingly prepared and I was happily eating. Becky is a great cook and an even better baker. You see, I was raised in a family of very talented cooks; my Grandmother and Mother are very skilled when it comes to preparing all sorts of delicious meals. Their mashed potatoes and baked steak are unbelievable; they make peach pies that melt in your mouth and a sweet potato casserole you would swear is a dessert. My wife is cut from the very same cloth. I’m not trying to kiss up here, I’m just telling the truth: she’s good!
During this delicious lunch, Becky questioned me about any preparations I had made for our upcoming small group, which was meeting this Sunday, as well as what I needed to do to finish my sermon. I was beginning to get aggravated with her 20 questions (even though she only asked two or three). And so I burst out in a tirade. “I may not even have started my sermon notes, but I’ve already taken care of the small group and you don’t need to worry about it! I don’t understand why you have to keep pushing me all the time and why you feel like it’s your job to make sure I get everything done! Sheesh!”
Now Becky and I have been married for 15 wonderful years, and it didn’t take any of my previous experience to tell me that I had just crossed a line here. I could have patiently answered her questions and helped her understand what I wanted to teach Sunday. I could have gotten help from her to make sure I got everything done that needed done. But instead, what came out was a side of me that I try to keep tucked away. A side of me that was upset and voicing my opinion about how I felt in that situation. It was not a good time to explain to my wife was that I intended to speak on honoring others, because I did not honor her in that moment.
In the book “Culture of Honor,” Danny Silk explains what it means to honor others:
“The principle of honor states that accurately acknowledging who people are will position us to give them what they deserve and allows them to receive the gift of who they are in our lives.”
Every day, God allows us to receive the gift of who He is in our lives. Each day, the creator of the universe honors us with a relationship, with grace, with love and with a promise to be with us eternally. What a huge gift that is! Listen to Isaiah 43:4-5:
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you…
Love flows from honor. Unlike the way I responded to Becky, try honoring others in your life this week and position yourself in a way that allows you to give that gift to others.
Read Isaiah 43:4-5
- Do you feel precious and honored by God?
- Think about how many ways God honors you each day. List all the ways that come to your mind right now.
- Have you ever considered that you are precious and loved?
- How can you honor others today?
- Can you honor others without loving them? Consider what it means to really honor someone else.
Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-26
- Verses 22-23 talk about the importance of the weaker parts of the body. This is a direct correlation to the weaker and lesser people in our lives and the importance in honoring those people. We all play the weaker part at some time or in some area. Who is weak that you can honor? When have you been the weaker part?
- What does verse 23 say we should do with the parts less honorable?
- How can you promote honoring others in your daily life? Can you humble yourself in order to honor others?
- Do you really suffer when someone else is suffering? Or do you just turn the channel, turn away, or think about something else?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
- Is there a difference between love and honor?
- Think about what kind of person embodies theses verses.
- Focus on verse 7. What does it mean to ALWAYS protect, trust, hope, and preserve in love?
- Pray for God to fill you with the kind of love found in 1 Corinthians 13. Love flows from honor.
Lord, thank You for honoring me by being a part of my life. Thank you for people who honor me when I am weak. I ask You to open my eyes to the people around me whom I can honor. Show me their needs, show me how my words can help or harm them. I want to see each person as precious, the same way You see me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.