The Honorable Attracts Honor

Acts 28:10 – Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

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Some people crave it while others shun it.  Some people embrace it while others run from it.  Some people clamber after it, doing whatever they must to gain it, while others think it sinful if all honor is not given to the Lord.  I am writing about HONOR.  How do you view it?  What is your perception of how honor should be handled? 

In Romans we read that we are to “give honor to whom honor is due.”  It also speaks of giving, or paying tribute, which can be a form of giving honor.  My writing today is to encourage the honorable Christian to keep themselves in the love of God, praying in the Holy Ghost, and to NOT flee from or shy away from real honor that comes to you for your faithfulness to God and life of righteousness in Jesus.  I have witnessed for my entire life as a Christian a wrong attitude in so many Christians concerning receiving honor.  It has arisen form a false humility that is so well concealed that many believers worthy of honor go out of their way to try to appear humble, when they are in fact misunderstanding and misdirecting the honor Father wishes them to have. 

For example, someone speaks a great word from the Lord, the church is truly stirred, lives are powerfully impacted and changed, and people come to that minister with sincere words of thanks, honoring him as a truly anointed man of God.  But what does the minister do?  He responds something like this.  “Oh, no; I didn’t do anything.  It was all the Lord.  Give Him all the glory.”  Dear reader, what does the Bible say about such words and such an attitude?  Jesus said that the glory Father gave to Him, He has given to us.  When the Scriptures declare that God will not give His glory “to another,” it is speaking of God giving his glory to any other being that people would worship.  The fact is, that the glory God gave Jesus is the same glory Jesus has given us.  It has been given to you.  What will you do with it?  God has given it to you.  Will you deny it?  Will you deny His will for your life? 

I am in no way speaking of a sense of arrogance, pride in which people with false pride glory.  I am talking about integrity of heart.  When you are honored for your labor and service in the kingdom of God, accept it humbly, acknowledge the honor God has bestowed upon you, thank Him for it, and testify to His faithfulness to you for your obedience.  Father wants to honor you.  Embrace it with great thankfulness to the Lord, and rejoice in the honor that is yours for being allowed to serve Him wherever you can.

Manna for Today – Acts 28:1-10; Romans 13:7; Revelation 4:11; 1 Corinthians 4:5; John 17:18 & 20:21; Isiah 42:8