A driver encounters another driver needing to merge on the highway. They speed up to prevent the "fronting."
A request is made to turn the television off. "Just five more minutes."
A member of a household is asked to fold towels. They haphazardly tossed them.
What's missing in these examples?
HONOR; the deliberate elevation of regard for another above oneself.
HONOR; the deliberate elevation of regard for another above oneself.
This subject has captivated my attention this past month.
Here are a few of the one hundred verses in the Bible that address the subject:
"'Far be it from Me, for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.' " I. Samuel 2:30b
"The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor." Proverbs 15:33
"The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor." Proverbs 15:33
"Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor." Proverbs 18:12
"Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor." Proverbs 21:21
"Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool." Proverbs 26:1
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:9-10
I have read through many Bible passages this month where when God gave specific instruction to His people, and when they diverted from those instructions in a measure we would all likely assess as "mild", God's anger burned against them.
Why?
The lack of honor.....the lack of regard.
The presence of selfish will..... the presence self exaltation.
Our history reading lends itself to thoughts of judgement against the nation of Israel, does it not?
"What were they; stupid?"
Why?
The lack of honor.....the lack of regard.
The presence of selfish will..... the presence self exaltation.
Our history reading lends itself to thoughts of judgement against the nation of Israel, does it not?
"What were they; stupid?"
In my job, I am the Director of Human Resources. I manage a great deal of people on a daily basis, from their regard of one another to their work place obedience. It's a challenging, yet humble job, because we are talking about adults with the same selfish, sinful tendencies we all have, and not all have the power of Christ within to identify these tendencies, let alone deliberately rise up against the destructive tendencies and say, "NO, I'm not participating in acts of dishonor!"
Without laying out every role in life, if we all stop and ponder, we can identify the presence of honor or the lack of honor in EVERY role of our lives.
It's a strong current in our culture, is it not? To look after self first. To fight for what we perceive as "fair" or "right" in our own mind.
It's a strong current in our culture, is it not? To look after self first. To fight for what we perceive as "fair" or "right" in our own mind.
We all face countless situations daily where we have to decide in a moment.... how am I going to respond as the receiver of dishonor, or the flip side.... how am I going to course correct if I am acting dishonorably?
Are you the person turning the report in a day late; or are you the one receiving the day late report?
Are you the person punching the accelerator; or are you the one trying to merge?
Are you the person asking the TV be turned off; or the one delaying by "five more minutes"?
Are you the person asking the towels be folded; or the one tossing them haphazardly?
Life is a long series of interactions one with another. In a perfect world, they should be Godly interactions, but in our fallen world, they are more often than not wholly ungodly interactions.
Are you the person turning the report in a day late; or are you the one receiving the day late report?
Are you the person punching the accelerator; or are you the one trying to merge?
Are you the person asking the TV be turned off; or the one delaying by "five more minutes"?
Are you the person asking the towels be folded; or the one tossing them haphazardly?
Life is a long series of interactions one with another. In a perfect world, they should be Godly interactions, but in our fallen world, they are more often than not wholly ungodly interactions.
One of the many lessons God has shown me this past month applies to BOTH sides of the interaction: the times when I am receiving dishonor AND when I am dispensing dishonor.
It's the bent knee verses stiff-neck stance.
We tend to clearly understand this dynamic in the scope of Godly obedience verses disobedience, but it likewise comes to roost in the scope of honor. In actuality, obedience and honor are intimately linked. It's just that as adults we tend to disassociate the two through our rationalizations and twisted justifications; watering down both obedience and honor after leaving our childhood behind.
How many of us, when asked to do something completely within our scope to do, bristle at the notion of doing what is asked of us?
Oh, that rebellious spirit within each of us must ALWAYS be put into check this side of Glory!
I dare say we all bristle far more than we care to admit. But if we run with diligence TOWARDS God's command to have higher regard for another than we do for ourselves, the bent knee should ALWAYS trump the stiff neck.
Paul knew this fight and discipline well:
"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
Oh, such RICH words of walked out wisdom from Paul!
So, first things first: make sure each of us is walking a walk of self-policing first and foremost. Be willing to strike a blow to your own self, bringing it into FULL submission to God. I can boldly testify that when God has called me to do something my will does not "feel" like doing, and I obey Him, often saying out loud, "Not my will, but Yours be done"...I am keenly aware of one of His great mysteries: my spirit's growth accelerates in THAT moment unlike any other time.
Why this usually still leaves me awestruck is at the very least amusing. And to be candid, I generally always catch Him smiling when I not only obey when I really don't want to, but also when I stop and take notice of the supernatural fruit such obedience yields..... especially when it involves the honoring of another above myself.
Secondly, how to properly interface the positional bent knee with being a steward of the Gospel message. For me personally, I have found this walk to be a challenging walk. It is literally my profession to confront and mediate offenses at work It is equally a passion of mine to give the call to come up higher within the Body of Christ. In my parenting and in my marriage, it is my job to shine a light on where areas need work in my children and in my husband, and again, call them to a higher, deeper place in Christ. All while exercising personal discipline on bent knee.
Only with Christ, step by step, can such a walk be walked!
One of my beloved passages in the Bible is found in 2 Corinthians 2:14-17:
"Thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are to God a pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved AND those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God."
So again, the fine line is walking humbly, yet boldly and honestly, with people SO that our lives illumine if there be death at the core of one's being or life in Christ at the core of one's being. Our behavior towards our fellow believers in particular should MIRROR Christ in one another. If it does not, we should boldly inspect what is within and course correct, but if we cannot "strike the blow to ourselves".... we must be willing to take correction from one another, believing that the ultimate prize is in becoming that pleasing aroma of Christ to all we encounter.
Understand that the charge to speak against an offense is vital because when we dishonor another, we are ultimately dishonoring God who commanded: "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10
I once knew this sister-in-Christ who ultimately stepped away from our friendship because though she was constantly dishonored and disregarded by her husband, she would not speak up and tell him. Every time she bemoaned his poor treatment to me, I would instruct her to let him know how he made her feel; to do otherwise was a tremendous disservice to him. She, however, could never bring herself to do so. In her mind, she rationalized that speaking up was an act counter to submission; it was making waves. She could not have been more wrong, for in actuality, in her silence, she was participating in his ongoing sin of dishonoring both her and God. That is not a Godly decision of a sister-in-Christ towards her husband. That is not the heart of Christ. It is a perversion of Truth.
The heart of Christ is that of FULL restoration IN Him WITH Him and WITH those in the Body. Neither can transpire if truth is not boldly spoken and walked out daily.
Think for a moment where you and I would be had the Apostles not understood unto death the bent knee of submission to God's will, honoring both Him and those they encountered above themselves, coupled to the bold confrontation of sin and offense within their lives and in the lives of those they did life with. While it is true, we, like the Apostles, do not control whether the listener bends the knee or stiffens the neck, speaking out will forever remain a cornerstone of the Gospel. Silence is NOT an option. Silence is NOT an act of love.
Be vigilant, dear ones; fight against your own self protecting, stiff neck tendencies. Be quick to bend the knee, honor others above yourself, and always be found edifying those around you to do likewise. In doing this, we WILL demonstrate Christ to a lost, perverted, self-indulgent, stiff necked world.
As Hebrews so soberly reminds all of us, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
We tend to clearly understand this dynamic in the scope of Godly obedience verses disobedience, but it likewise comes to roost in the scope of honor. In actuality, obedience and honor are intimately linked. It's just that as adults we tend to disassociate the two through our rationalizations and twisted justifications; watering down both obedience and honor after leaving our childhood behind.
How many of us, when asked to do something completely within our scope to do, bristle at the notion of doing what is asked of us?
Oh, that rebellious spirit within each of us must ALWAYS be put into check this side of Glory!
I dare say we all bristle far more than we care to admit. But if we run with diligence TOWARDS God's command to have higher regard for another than we do for ourselves, the bent knee should ALWAYS trump the stiff neck.
Paul knew this fight and discipline well:
"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
Oh, such RICH words of walked out wisdom from Paul!
So, first things first: make sure each of us is walking a walk of self-policing first and foremost. Be willing to strike a blow to your own self, bringing it into FULL submission to God. I can boldly testify that when God has called me to do something my will does not "feel" like doing, and I obey Him, often saying out loud, "Not my will, but Yours be done"...I am keenly aware of one of His great mysteries: my spirit's growth accelerates in THAT moment unlike any other time.
Why this usually still leaves me awestruck is at the very least amusing. And to be candid, I generally always catch Him smiling when I not only obey when I really don't want to, but also when I stop and take notice of the supernatural fruit such obedience yields..... especially when it involves the honoring of another above myself.
Secondly, how to properly interface the positional bent knee with being a steward of the Gospel message. For me personally, I have found this walk to be a challenging walk. It is literally my profession to confront and mediate offenses at work It is equally a passion of mine to give the call to come up higher within the Body of Christ. In my parenting and in my marriage, it is my job to shine a light on where areas need work in my children and in my husband, and again, call them to a higher, deeper place in Christ. All while exercising personal discipline on bent knee.
Only with Christ, step by step, can such a walk be walked!
One of my beloved passages in the Bible is found in 2 Corinthians 2:14-17:
"Thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are to God a pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved AND those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God."
Understand that the charge to speak against an offense is vital because when we dishonor another, we are ultimately dishonoring God who commanded: "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10
I once knew this sister-in-Christ who ultimately stepped away from our friendship because though she was constantly dishonored and disregarded by her husband, she would not speak up and tell him. Every time she bemoaned his poor treatment to me, I would instruct her to let him know how he made her feel; to do otherwise was a tremendous disservice to him. She, however, could never bring herself to do so. In her mind, she rationalized that speaking up was an act counter to submission; it was making waves. She could not have been more wrong, for in actuality, in her silence, she was participating in his ongoing sin of dishonoring both her and God. That is not a Godly decision of a sister-in-Christ towards her husband. That is not the heart of Christ. It is a perversion of Truth.
The heart of Christ is that of FULL restoration IN Him WITH Him and WITH those in the Body. Neither can transpire if truth is not boldly spoken and walked out daily.
Think for a moment where you and I would be had the Apostles not understood unto death the bent knee of submission to God's will, honoring both Him and those they encountered above themselves, coupled to the bold confrontation of sin and offense within their lives and in the lives of those they did life with. While it is true, we, like the Apostles, do not control whether the listener bends the knee or stiffens the neck, speaking out will forever remain a cornerstone of the Gospel. Silence is NOT an option. Silence is NOT an act of love.
Be vigilant, dear ones; fight against your own self protecting, stiff neck tendencies. Be quick to bend the knee, honor others above yourself, and always be found edifying those around you to do likewise. In doing this, we WILL demonstrate Christ to a lost, perverted, self-indulgent, stiff necked world.
As Hebrews so soberly reminds all of us, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
It's a matter of honor, dear ones; it's a matter of HONOR!
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