Honor

No matter what time of year it is, some sport is having a championship game.  The best teams come out for one last game to see who really is number one.  We select players for all star teams and hand out most valuable player awards.  We choose the best athletes and put them on an elite team.  We honor them because of how many runs or points they score, how high they jump or how fast they are.  In short, we reward them for what they do.  Chances are if you have kids in sports or competitions of any kind you have a growing collection of ribbons, medals, sashes, certificates, trophies, and plaques around the house.  Some hang on walls or sit propped up on shelves somewhere, others get stuffed into a drawer or… eventually thrown out.  They were so important when they were first received and brought home but somewhere along they way they lost their value.  Don’t get me wrong I am not suggesting it is wrong to honor someone for what they have accomplished, it is actually an important part of celebrating what happens in life.  The truth is trophies only mean so much because honor has a deeper meaning.  Honor is letting someone know you see how valuable they really are.  People should not only be honored for what they do, they should primarily be honored because of who they are.  Your stuff will lose value over time but people do not.  At it’s core, honor is seeing people the way God sees people.While we may be naturally wired to put ourselves first, honor is the exact opposite of self-centeredness --honor something that flows from your relationship with God.   People start showing others honor when they understand that the people around them were created by God.  In a sense, one of the best ways we can honor God is by honoring those who reflect the image of God.  Maybe that is why Romans 12: 10 says, “Love each other deeply.  Honor others more than yourselves.”   I think as leaders it is important that we memorize this verse and have our children memorize it as well.  When someone understands the principle of honor it changes the way they treat everyone.  The secret to show honor to others is to understand that it begins by honoring God.  If you want to invite your kids to a better story, invite them into a story where they honor those around them.  They will begin to see people who are overlooked by society with a different kind of value.  They will also see authority figures with a different kind of respect.  They tend to see their peers with a different kind of appreciation.When training his staff a restaurant, the owner used to tell his employees that when someone walks into the restaurant the employees were to imagine they were wearing a sign that read, “Please make me feel like I am worth something.”   He gave his staff a mental picture to make everyone feel valued.  What would happen if we simply took the advice of that restaurant owner?  What if we can teach our children to look at the people around them and really believe that those people have been made by God... to imagine that each person really was wearing an invisible sign that said, “Show me that I am worth something.” Honor notices those who aren’t being noticed.  Honor puts others ahead of yourself.  Honor shows value to others when you keep your word.  Honor is ultimately based on how you view and respect God.  As Christian parents and leaders, we have a great opportunity to raise a group of kids who look around and attach value to other people simply because they are created by God.  See you Sunday,Pastor Ed