ByJantzenLouder CampusPastor,ChurchOn TheRock,Levelland Honor is a word that I’ve thought about a lot lately. It is oftentimes a word that is reserved for either someone who is no longer with us or someone who has accomplished a great feat among us. What if honor was meant to be a way of life, though. What if it was the way God wanted us to treat others, simply because each and every person was created by Him and is loved by Him. In Mark 6:1-6, we read a story where Jesus came to His hometown, and they have a hard time receiving Him for who He is.
You see, the truth is that they remembered Jesus as the son of Mary, as a brother to those who were still there, as a carpenters son. They had a hard time seeing Him for more than that.
Familiarity oftentimes makes it hard to honor someone. The more familiar I become with someone, the more I realize their strengths AND THEIR WEAKNESSES.
The longer I know someone, the more I am aware that they make mistakes and the harder they become to honor.
The crazy part of this story to me is that the Bible says that Jesus “could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them”.
Jesus…the Son of God…was limited in what He was able to do, because a lack of honor! This lack of honor led to offense and ultimately to unbelief. In fact, it says that Jesus “marveled because of their unbelief”. Maybe we don’t realize the power of Honor. What if we are unable to receive the gift that God has given us in someone, simply because we are not honoring them. Everyone will disappoint us at some point. My prayer today is that we will choose to honor them anyway. Is it possible there are miracles waiting to happen; and we hold the key to unlock them, simply by honoring those around us. In summary, here are a few practical things to grab hold of: 1. Honor is for EVERYONE …not just those we feel deserve it; 2. Honor is not simply lip service: a. Matt 15:8, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;” and 3. Dishonor limits the potential of that individual.
Father, today, I ask that Levelland and the surrounding region would be a place of honor. I pray that it would be a place of miracles. I pray that we would see you do ALL that you desire to do in this area, as each of us walk in honor towards each other. Help us where we struggle in this area.
In Jesus name…Amen.