A Matter of Honor

I heard a statement recently that I really believe that we as a church should learn to practice.  The person said, honor is given but respect is earned.  Our culture has forgotten that there is a difference between respect and honor.  We believe we should only honor those we respect.  But the Bible says in Romans 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”  We should give honor to all people.  In fact it should be a competition in every church as to how much honor we give to one another.

You do not have to approve of someone’s behavior to honor them.  You honor them because of who they are not what they do.  They are your brother or sister in Christ.  They have been bought with a price.  They are God’s treasured possession therefore you can honor them as such.  We may not respect everyone when they behave in a manner not worthy of the Gospel.  But who hasn’t?  We are all saints and at the same time sinners.  We all at times do not live respectably, yet we are still children of God.

When we honor people we free them to earn respect.   If the church is not a place where people are loved and honored, then people will try to live respectably out of a since of obligation or out of fear that they will be rejected.   This becomes a drudge because the church is not a place of grace but of law.  The church becomes a place of judgment rather than a place of freedom.  Over time, people will give up because the burden is too great.  However, if people are honored then they live respectably because they are loved.   People will not be afraid that they will be rejected when they mess up and fail to live respectably but rather they will know that they are secure in the relationship and work harder to live the way they ought.

If find it difficult to respect the people around you, try honoring them.  In so doing you will create an environment where people are willing to change.  Think about it.