Honor
A foreign word these days – honor. And yet when used, it’s misused. We give honor to worthless things. We call people heroes flippantly. In this culture of constant affirmation, words become watered down.
We are so consumed with being entertained, that scoring baskets or goals is heroic. That doing the job we’re being paid for somehow makes us deserve high honor. Maybe it started back when we began giving every child on the team a trophy. Actually I think it started in that garden called Eden: when you eat it, you will be like God.
In that taste, by both the woman and the man, in a mere few seconds, honor became something to be grasped for self. Jealousies, hatreds, divisions – over skin colors, weight, money, status, etc. – start when honor is given to any other than God the Creator. “Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.” (Luke 4:8b CEV)
Certainly those things we do like run into a burning building to save another, donate a kidney to one whose kidneys are failing, and even the kind act of helping an elderly person who stumbles are noble. These are what we are created for.
The very ability to do any of those things and others, is a gift from the Creator. “I have strength for all things in the One strengthening me.” (Philippians 4:13 BLB)
And there’s where we forget. Forget that any ‘good’ we do is a manifestation of the One we are created in the image of.
This is where we lost track. Created in the image of God to do good works: “For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 HCSB)
So all our efforts are not for our glory, our honor. They are to honor the One who gives us each breath. Who knows the number of our hairs, numbered our days before our first breath. “All glory to Him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are His before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.” (Jude 1:25 NLT)
parisrenae 
This is so true, Paris, “Any ‘good’ we do is a manifestation of the One we are created in the image of.”
LikeLike
Amen – He is our only good, all else is our pride. Blessings as He works good in and through you all your days…
LikeLike
“So all our efforts are not for our glory, our honor. They are to honor the One who gives us each breath.” Amen!
LikeLike
Yes, Amen for sure – He is our very breath and our good is only ever an outflow of Him in us. Blessings as you glorify Him!
LikeLike
Yes! He deserves ALL the honor and glory!
LikeLike
Yes, indeed our great Savior deserves all our praise – may our lips bring Him honor at all times in all circumstances. Blessings as you honor the Lover of your soul…
LikeLike
Lovely post as usual, Paris. I like how you noted that not only do we lack in honor, but we also misuse it by giving it away to things underserving and above the Lord. I pray to give my highest allegience and honor to the Almighty and not to the worthless things of this world.
LikeLike
Right there with you – I love the old song I’d Rather Have Jesus, above all else – that’s all that matters.
LikeLike