Honor

I recently went over the marriage vows with a couple soon to be wed. I am constantly struck with the beauty of our Prayer Book and God when I read the phrase, "and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you." I am not sure the word, "honor" shows up on many Facebook pages or in Starbucks infused conversations. Heck, it seldom makes it to church. "Honor" seems a bit quaint. But it is powerful.

 

Now, false honor is nothing new…

 

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Matthew 15:8 (NIV)

 

False honor is about me, not someone else. False honor is offered to put me in a good light (or at least to avoid a bad one.) True honor requires sacrifice because I have to lay down my own agendas and offer respect and worth to another (often when I wish it for myself, as in the case of marriage.)

 

The church is especially to be a place of honoring.

 

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 Corinthians 12:26 (NIV)

 

Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10b (ESV)

 

How can I honor someone today? To shower them with praise (maybe even undeserved) might be tempting but it is cheap. When I honor another, I must invest. I honor when I keep my promises, show up on time, offer to help, stop and ask how things are going, do what I say I will do, stop surveying the horizon for a better opportunity. Imagine living in a world where we all honored each other in such a way. God does, every day. And he will not rest till it is a reality. Join him in making it real.