Word of the Week - Honor

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

On this very special day that is set aside to recognize and Honor Mother’s, I thought it would be appropriate to remind ourselves the importance of Honoring our mothers and others.  I was blessed with an amazing mother, Lillie May LeJeune Donner, who we lost to cancer just over 17 years ago.  I think about her very often and miss her deeply.  I am grateful to God for blessing me with such a wonderful godly mother who taught me and my family so much about love and Honor, especially towards God.Honoring the Lord by Honoring others:  Honoring the Lord and those in authority, especially our parents is one of the key themes of God’s Word.  It was so important that God made it number four on the list of the 10 Commandments.  It is also the first Commandment with a promise that clearly states if we Honor our parents then we will live long healthy and productive lives. The principal of Honoring others is based on the concept that we value them and their positions by giving them worth and weight.  That we don’t dishonor them by taking them lightly or overlooking them.  I did not understand this truth until I was born of the spirit 19 years ago.  The truth of the matter is that when we Honor God, our parents, those in authority and people in general we are blessed and benefit.  Similar to the principal of giving, the more we Honor others, the more we gain favor and receive Honor and blessing.  “Honor god with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Then your barns will burst, you wine vats will brim over” Proverbs 3:9-10.  That being said, our motivation should come not from what we can get out of the process but from understanding that Honoring God and others pleases our Father and promotes the Gospel, which produces goodwill and fruit.Honoring those in authority: We should especially Honor those in authority to include Parents, Teachers, Leaders, and yes especially Government Officials.  Unfortunately, the biblical principal of Honoring those in authority is not a function of the persons skill, competence, performance, how they treat us or even their character; the concept is that God calls us to Honor all authority, even if we don’t like them or agree with their approach or philosophy.  This is one of the more challenging mandates of our Christian faith, especially in today’s world that seems to be driven by dishonor and disunity.  Just to be clear, Honoring someone in authority does not mean we have to obey them or agree with them, it just simply means we need to recognize and consider the weight of their position and authority.  1 Peter 2:13-17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men; whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.  Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.  Show proper respect to everyone:  Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king,”  Expect persecution when we stand in righteousness:  All of that being said, if we disobey or disagree with those in authority then we have to be willing to face the consequences; if done in a godly manner with the right motivation this is called persecution, being willing to suffer for a greater purpose.  There are many examples of this in the Bible and throughout history and during these days we may be called to stand up and be ready to be persecuted for the Gospel of Christ.So how do we Honor God and others?  1) By prioritizing them; 2) By using words of praise that build them up and not tearing them down; and 3) By protecting them and standing up for them, especially if they don’t have a voice. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves”. Romans 12:10“If we sow honor we will reap honor” Pastor/Coach Tom MullinsHappy Mother’s Day to all you moms, I celebrate and Honor you for all that you do day in and day out.   You are amazing and greatly appreciated.  I personally believe there is no greater role or influence on raising up godly offspring than the role of a mother.  So be encouraged, you are changing the world one son and daughter at a time, hopefully with lots of help from your husband 😊.Have a great week.-Duane