Honor Show Notes

Living BRIGHTLY together we are to be a bright city on a hill (Matthew 5:14) each one of us a temple (! Corinthians 3:16, 1 Peter 2:5). The foundation of you building is your personal relationship with God hidden from everyone but God. Honor represents the first wall of your building which is fully visible and brightly shining.

Honor is more that deeds of service

Have you ever watched the State of the Union with the president of the United States and joint congress? One of the best parts of the State of the Union is hearing and seeing the honorees. Those individuals who for some special reason have been granted audience and recognition form the President of the United States as well as the full congress and viewers at home. Similarly, the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients can be recognized at a special event or the State of the Union.

When we think of honor these types of honors come to mind. We all like to be honored, win first prize, or be recognized for deeds or services rendered. Living Brightly has an element of honor in it and it will be the focus today. How does God see honor? What does God want us to do with honor?

Living BRIGHTLY in Honor

This is the fifth episode in a series defining what it means to Live BRIGHTLY. The fifth letter is H, what begins with H – honor. If this is your first visit here, go to the Living BRIGHTLY tab in the menu and start at B, believer and work your way through what it means to Live BRIGHTLY.

The first four letters BRIG represent your personal intimate relationship with God. Your vertical relationship. This relationship is private so I refer to it as the foundation like that of a large building, hidden under ground but vital to the buildings structure and continuity.

The second set of letters HTLY which represent the horizontal relationships you have with others. These are like the walls of your building, easily seen and recognized with windows radiating light to the world around it. You too emit light to those around you.

God’s Character of Honor

The character of God exudes honor. God is quite the gentleman and he is to be revered and held in a position of honor. Likewise, He doesn’t just tell us to honor, He exemplifies honor. When God created the Garden of Eden He put in the center of the garden two trees, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. Then God created man and put him in the garden. But God didn’t want a bunch of Stepford wives, or robots, He wants us to love Him by choice. So He put those trees smack dab in the middle of the garden.

He could have put those trees far off in a field. Similarly, He could have put them in a grove of trees, in a cave, in a spot very difficult to get to. But He didn’t hide the choices that Adam had. He didn’t hide the options, but only commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge. Conversely, he could eat of the tree of life. This didn’t work out so well, but God wasn’t surprised, He knew he would.

Duality of Realities

In essence God wanted a full relationship with Adam. And satan[i] came along and implied we were not made in His likeness and His image. Satan’s first lie was not ‘you’re going to die’. Furthermore, the lie was ‘you will be equal with God’.

In reality we were not equal with God but we were as God, made in His likeness and His image (Genesis 1:26) but we thought we could have more. We thought we could be God without God and that didn’t work. God created us physical, with a physical body and spiritual, with a spiritual spirit. Consequently, we live in this duality of realities.

We can chose to allow the physical to dominate us. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Or, we can choose to live exclusively spiritually and Heavenly focused. God doesn’t want us to do either of those things. Live in the world but not of the world.

Be physical, recognizing your physical body and use your physical self to bless all the other people in the earth. Meanwhile, remember you are spiritual and need that spiritual connection with Him.

Ultimately, He gives us choice. He doesn’t force us nor create us as mindless robots. Hence, He created you with free will. Now, we have the choice to accept His offer of Jesus Christ to re-connect our relationship with Him or not. And He is willing that anyone can choose either way. God desires all to choose life and a relationship with Him, but He won’t force us. He won’t make you make that choice. It is a true authentic choice.

God teaches honor through Jesus

When God sent Jesus to meet the high standard of the Law it was because you must be sinless to be in God’s presence. Although man was sinless in the Garden before the fall, we have all participated in sin. Consequently, once this perfect sinless standard was set, no person could reach it. Therefore, He sent His Son Jesus. Jesus honored His standard, honored the level of expectation to have a relationship. Even so, He provided a way for us to take advantage of what Jesus did on the cross. What a wonderful God.

Honor’s braided cord of three – Honor God

The First cord is Jesus taking our place and honoring God’s Law the way God established the world to work. He is showing us that there is honor in respecting others. There is honor in following the laws of the land, following the governments that God helped approve. And, honoring each other, and each other’s free choices. That is God’s example.

The second cord – Honor parents

In the second cord we are called to honor our parents. It is unique to all other types of honor in that, they are your parents. We know that God commands us to do things that are not necessarily easy. These are not things that come about naturally or instinctively.

You remember “Sally’s” mom was really cool because your mom had all those rules you didn’t like. “Johnny’s” mom let you eat macaroni and cheese and your mom made you eat your vegetables.

Our parents are charged with guiding and teaching us and, they did the best they could.  But before that your parents partnered with God to bring you into this world. To create you. We partner with God to bring children into the world, to create more people. Conception is a profound mystery and they have seen in vitro that at the moment the sperm enters the egg there is a spark. A touch of God that starts the whole thing in motion.

God can’t create more people without the help of moms and dads. Likewise, moms and dads can’t create children without the help of God. Therefore we as children are called to honor our parents as our first real representative of God. However, our parents are not perfect.

Honoring imperfect parents

Parents are human like you and me. You may have had great parents or okay parents. Unfortunately, you may have had horrible parents or absent parents. It doesn’t matter, we are called to honor our parents. Nevertheless, even if they were horrible parents they brought you into this world.

Joyce Meyer’s father sexually abused her for years, and her mother did nothing to stop it. When her parents were high in age God called her to honor her parents in a personal way. So much so Joyce paid for their housing, food, and medical care. Consequently, it was a stretch and it was hard but she could not deny God’s command.

She didn’t owe them anything but she honored God by honoring them. Subsequently, she put herself aside and honored her parents and powerful things happened. Conversely, her parents could not understand why she was doing all she was. But God was empowering Joyce with greater peace and strength.

Eventually, both her parents accepted Christ and asked Joyce’s forgiveness. Regardless of whether your parents are like Joyce Meyer’s or great according to the world’s standard, you are called to honor your parents because they partnered with God to bring you into the world. Accordingly, you have the opportunity to be here and accept Christ.

Third cord of honor – honor others

Honor others. This may be the easiest to complete. Albeit may be easy to honor people who treat you well and may deserve honor, we are not limited just to them. This is where faith is required. To trust in God is to honor others regardless of who they are.

Jesus gave us an example of honor our parents. His first miracle was at the request of Mary to solve a problem that He alone could solve. Jesus wasn’t ready and told her is wasn’t His time. Mary didn’t push, she didn’t beg, she simply looks at the people around her and told them to do what He tells you and walked away. Jesus stepped in and did what needed to be done, turning water into wine for a wedding.

Several years earlier the family had gone to Jerusalem and when they left Jesus stayed behind. Three days later they realize Jesus is missing and Mary and Joseph had to go back and find Him. He was in the Temple discussing Scripture with the men and Mary scolded Him. “What are you doing?” Jesus basically said He was about His Fathers business and Mary said not yet you’re not.

Jesus honored her there and went back home with them. Thereafter, we don’t know anything about Jesus’ life until the wedding when Mary basically told Him, fix this and be about Your Fathers business, it is time. Again, Jesus honored His mother at thirty years old, and did what she told Him to do. She was His flesh and blood, His biological mother, and He honored her.

Honor is NOT reward based

When we honor people we think of award. God does not think of awards but rather the heart. More importantly the person as an individual. God created man, human beings, in His likeness and His image. Therefore to honor God we must remember this.

The way you treat the representative of another reflects how you view the person they are representing as either honorable or contemptible. If you treat the mayor’s representative with contempt you are exposing you contempt for the mayor.

Likewise, how do we honor the representatives of God? We need to honor everyone created in His image, and likeness. God would that all would receive Christ. He knows they all won’t but it doesn’t mean He didn’t partner in their creation in His image and likeness. Meaning physical and spiritual.

In Proverbs we are told to be kind to the needy is to honor God. The needy are not the ones we think of when we consider giving an award. They are not bosses, supervisors, nor do they have the power to bless or advance you.

Honor does not just go up, but should go out to everyone. It’s easy to honor those who have something to offer us. Accordingly, it is a little difficult to honor those in authority over us but we understand the consequence of not honoring them could come back to cause us our own problems. Therefore, we do it because we know it is important.

Honor God through self-control

A fundamental way to honor God is exercising self-control. In 1 Corinthians 6 it says you can honor God with self-control. 1 Thessalonians 4:4 says to control your body in holiness and honor not in the passions of lust. Therefore, how do we honor God with our body? Just as you would someone in authority over us.

If you lead yourself well, just as if the boss leads the company well, then it is easier to honor not only yourself but others around you. When the company casts a vision for where they are going to be five and ten years down the road. Subsequently, it is easier to honor the boss when the boss makes changes because the changes help complete the vision.

If you don’t make a vision for yourself or plan for where you are going to be five and ten years down the road; Or if you don’t have a vision of entering heaven and hear Jesus say, ‘come here friend’. If you don’t think in those terms you don’t consider that everyone you meet is an opportunity to take them with you.

Adam and Eve were told to fill the earth, have babies, and teach them in the way of God, train them, and guide them. Now that you have Christ, you can have spiritual children. Subsequently, those spiritual children are those you can take with you to heaven. Whether or not they will follow you depends on how you handle yourself.

You honor God by taking your own body into submission, by casting a vision for your life, making a plan for where you want to be five and ten years down the road. Furthermore, this is not just about climbing the corporate ladder, but to change the world for Christ.

Living BRIGHTLY honor

To live brightly in the darkness this world is full of, honor all those God puts in your path. This is living BRIGHTLY honor.

Reaching toward a destination you have to have a vision for. Honor is the skeleton that gives your Godly leadership form and function. And if you are going to lead yourself toward serving God you have to have a backbone of honor for all that God has created in you. As well as everyone around you.

This is not just about getting the Congressional Medal of Honor during a State of the Union address. On the other hand, it is about getting a ‘well done my good and faithful servant’. ‘Look how you have populated heaven by pillaging hell all because you honored those I put in your life and allowed to cross your path. Thank you.’

You can’t take wealth, houses and cars with you. Nor can we take most of the things we spend our lives working on. Even an engineer who designs a rocket to get to the moon. It means nothing when she leaves this earth. Engineering is an honorable profession and it is important to use our skills and talents to serve God’s children in our profession.

But if we are going to live BRIGHTLY and stand out like a city on a hill. If we are going to shine so bright that the people who are confused, lost, and wandering through life notice and say ‘what do you have that I don’t have because you seem to have something that I need’. We have to do it with honor.

Honor begins

Honor starts at home, continues with God, and ripples out to the whole of every person you encounter. So, how do you live BRIGHTLY? You live with honor. Great honor for God, for your parents, and for all of those who God puts in your life whether they be the needy and widows or the CEO’s and powerful. Because we all need Jesus and we all need each other. Living BRIGHTLY requires honor.

[i] I intentionally do not capitalize satan or devil because there is no honor due.

Pray with me

Dear Lord,

Heavenly Father, thank You for partnering with my parents to bring me into this wonderful world. I am so sorry for not realizing the importance of honoring my parents. Thank you for loving me while I was and am so unlovely. Lord give me eyes to see others as You see them. Give me ears to hear Your heart for those who appear unlovely. Thank You for Your power to love and honor those You put in my life and those who merely cross my path. Holy Spirit bring this truth to mind when I need reminded. Lord, continue molding me to be more like You Jesus.

In Jesus name, Amen.

© 2021 Elayne Cross

Honor Scriptures

God uses Scripture to speak directly to you and into your life!

Honor God

• • Exodus 14:18
  • Leviticus 10:3
  • Numbers 24:11; 22:37, 17
  • Numbers 16:9
  • Judges 13:17
  • 1 Samuel 2:29-30
  • Psalms 4:2
  • Daniel 4:37; 7:14
  • John 5:23-25; 8:49
  • Romans 1:21
  • 2 Corinthians 8:21
  • Revelation 4:9-11; 5:11-14; 7:12
  • 1 Timothy 5:1
  • Hebrews 2:7, 9; 3:3; 5:5
  • 2 Peter 1:16-18
  • 1 Corinthians 6:20

Honor Parents

• • Exodus 20:12
  • Deuteronomy 5:16
  • Malachi 1:6
  • Matthew 15:4-6?; 19:19
  • Mark 7:6-13
  • Ephesians 6:2
  • Hebrews 13:4
  • 1 Peter 3:7

Honor Others

• • Judges 9:9
  • 1 Peter 2:3; 2:11-17
  • 1 Samuel 2:8
  • Esther 6
  • Proverbs 27:18
  • Matthew 15:1-9
  • Mark 7:1-13
  • Luke 14:7-14
  • Acts 28:10
  • Romans 2:10; 12:10; 13:7
  • Philippians 4”8
  • 1Timothy 5:3; 6:1

 General honor Scriptures

• • Proverbs 12:9; 15:33; 18:12; 29:23
  • Matthew 23:6;
  • Mark 12:39;
  • Luke 11:43; 14:7-8
  • 2 Corinthians 6:8
  • 1 Thessalonians 2:6
  • Hebrews 5:4
  • 1 Timothy 6:16
  • 2 Timothy 2:21

Copyright © 2021 Elayne Cross