Honor God by Honoring Others
CHOOSING HONOR
Rich says the subject of honor has been on his heart for a number of years and says it is a key to successful relationships for many reasons. He says when he started his church in Miami in 1998 it was primarily made up of people from the islands and of Haitian descent. “We learned to honor those God put in our path, and because we have chosen to honor people the world despises, God has tremendously blessed us,” says Rich. They took their small inner-city church of about 300 people and by God’s grace turned it into a thriving congregation that is currently meeting in 4 locations in 3 different states. One of Rich’s sons pastors a church about 10 miles away; their oldest son pastors a great congretation in the northwest and his youngest son pastors in Harlem. “We have chosen to honor God and others, and God has blessed our lives and our family.”
“God has been so good to us and I believe is in part because of the honor,” says Rich. He believes when you are kind to one another, God opens doors for you that no one can shut. “The doors I have walked through over the years have literally astounded me,” he says. “And now all of these years later, I see the fruit of living a life of honor.”
HONOR BEGINS IN THE HEART
Rich reminds us what the Bible says about honor. The original Greek work means worth or value. In the cultural context of the Old and New Testaments, honor was an evaluation of an individual’s actions, which determined the person’s value to the community. Honor (the person’s worth) was decided by the community and projected onto the person. If you had no honor, you were discarded by the community. “Our culture has confused the concepts of honor and respect,” he says. “Honor is not merely a matter of showing respect because it is possible to respect a person without having love for that individual…..and honor is not possible without love. True biblical honor must originate from a heart of love.”
As we look at the news, we find many people dishonoring one another. Sometimes, Rich says, they do it in the name of righteousness. “As followers of Jesus, we must be able to look at those situations and discern the intent behind the words. Even when someone is not being honorable, we must remember what our Lord has called us to.” Many times, Rich has experienced people trying to take matters into their own hands. “When faithful people wait in God’s timing by continuing to show honor and love, they are blessed in the end.”
Marriage is one area that is the most difficult arena in life to create a culture of honor. “Couples tend to worry about maintaining the balance of power,” says Rich. “But honor boils down to trust. If you are fully willing to trust your spouse, then there is no bigger payoff for your efforts.” In today’s society, people delight in tearing one another down. “You must create a culture of honor in your life,” says Rich. “I have seen lives dramatically changed simply because someone chose to honor those around him. Those individuals felt valued and in turn started honoring the people they interacted with, thus creating a culture of homor that continued to spread and grow!”
Some things to do: 1. Don’t harden your heart; 2. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit; 3. Speak the truth; 4. Manage anger; 5. Be productive; 6. Watch your mouth; 7. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit; & 8. Be more like Jesus.