“Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
1 Peter 2:17 (KJV)
To honor means to hold in high esteem, to show respect or give recognition, to esteem another, to give preference. Honor is born out of love and God is love. So, to honor men, you have to see them through the lens of God and recognize how God loves them. In the kingdom of God, what you sow is what you reap (Galatians 6:7). When you give honor, honor is multiplied back to you. We are to honor all men; everyone is important to God and therefore deserves to be honored.
The brotherhood in the opening verse refers to all believers: our brothers and sisters in Christ. Romans 12:10 says, “Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another”. Your love must be sincere; it must be from your heart, without hypocrisy. If you dishonor other people, you are dishonoring God, and it will corrupt your harvest and affect your life of prosperity. Consciously honor all men and love the brotherhood.
The king in the opening verse refers to those who have authority over us. It is important you do not dishonor spiritual authority by speaking against them. In the body of Christ, God has called some to offices such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for the perfection of the saints (Ephesians 4:11-12). God wants us to honor them and to hold them in high esteem because of their service (see 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). In Numbers 12, Miriam complained about Moses, who God had put in charge of leading Israel; as a result, she was struck with leprosy and Moses had to pray for her to be healed. This lets us know how seriously God takes it when we dishonor, or speak against those he has placed in authority, especially spiritual leaders. Learn to show respect for spiritual authority and stay away from people who say negative things about leaders in the house of God. Giving honor is a kingdom principle for living a life of greatness, so learn to walk in honor.
PRAYER/CONFESSION
Dear Father, I receive grace to give honor and I receive honor in good measure pressed down shaken together and running over from You and men in the name of the Lord Jesus name.
WISDOM NUGGET
“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:2-3 (NIV)