Honoring God is one of the keys to submitting to God. If we don’t honor Him, then how can we trust Him to lead our lives? What makes Him worthy of our honor?
Revelation 4:11 NIV “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Who could be more worthy of our honor than God who put creation into being?
So how are we to honor God?
1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Well, that covers just about everything. When we honor God in our lives, we serve Him and then receive honor from Him.
John 12:26 NIV “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
Here are some steps to honoring God:
- Honor Everyone
- Honor God in Witnessing
- Give Back to the Lord
- Help Those in Need
- Honor Family
- Honor Leaders of the Church
- Honor Your Body
Honor Everyone.
1 Peter 2:17 NIV “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”
1. Everyone- In Expositor’s Bible Commentary, it reads that we should recognize the value of every person as a creation of God.
2. Other Christians- We should have a special love for our brother and sisters in Christ.
3. Fear God- This is reverence for God and His laws.
4. Leaders in government- Respect the laws of government unless they go against God.
Honor God in Witnessing
1 Peter 3:15 ESV “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”
As Christians we are to be ready to tell someone who we believe in and why. Why do we have joy in the Lord? Because of the hope of a relationship with God both now and forever. Let others know what the Lord has done for you. We honor the Lord when we witness to others.
Give Back to the Lord
Proverbs 3:9 NIV “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;”
Everything we have comes from the Lord. We are only stewards of what He gives us. It honors God when we give it back to Him.
What are firstfruits?
A first-fruit is different from a tithe. Although both are offerings to God, the first fruits are giving the best in the beginning. A tithe is a small percent or portion of the total. A large difference between the two is that the first fruit has to be given at the start and from the best. BibleStudyTools.com
Help Those in Need
Proverbs 14:31 NIV “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
Example of helping those in need from God’s Word:
Ruth 2:4-12 NIV
“Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, ‘The Lord be with you! ‘The Lord bless you!’ they answered. Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, ‘Who does that young woman belong to?’ The overseer replied, ‘She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”
So Boaz said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.’ At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, ‘Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?’
Boaz replied, ‘I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.'”
Boaz was wealthy. In Israel, they were to leave gleanings from their crops so the poor would have something to eat. Boaz not only is allowing Ruth to glean, but giving her food and water. Boaz is honoring God in helping others.
We may not be wealthy, but we have enough to share with those who are in need. It may not be money or food, but maybe encouragement or a kind word. God honors our help to others.
Honor Family
Parents
Exodus 20:12 NIV “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
Yes, this is for adults as well as children. The Lord puts great value on how you treat your parents. Sure, you’re an adult but that doesn’t mean you can talk to them any way you like.
Do you respect their opinion or do you cut them off when they’re talking? Think about it. How do you want to be treated when your children are older?
My parents are both gone. I miss them now as much as when they first passed. Treat your parents well. You honor God when you do.
Marriage
Mark 10: 6-9 NIV “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Do you respect and honor your spouse? As Christians we are to work as a unit in marriage and do everything we can to help one another.
These days, usually both are working outside the home. This adds more responsibility to help each other relax and help remove stress from the day. Add children, and this working relationship can be more strained.
One of the best things you can do as a couple is to have a time together in prayer and God’s Word. The Lord will show you many ways to enhance your relationship. This honors God.
Children
Ephesians 6:4 NIV “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
“Paul addresses “fathers” as the heads of their families, though the term could mean “parents.” Above all else, he warns them against goading their children into a state of perpetual resentment (cf. 4:26). He is not thinking of extreme instances like disinheritance, but the everyday tensions of family life. Fathers must not make unreasonable demands. Otherwise children, being overcorrected, may lose heart (cf. Col 3:21). Children should be treated with tenderness.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary
Instead of frustrating children, the best way to teach them is the Lord’s way. Parents praying together can help their children thrive.
Honor Leaders of the Church
1 Timothy 5:17 NIV “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”
The Lord expected the leaders of the church to be honored. They have a lot of responsibility to keep the church on the right path.
Explore the Bible gives four tips in honoring Christian leaders:
- Support them
- Love them
- Pray for them
- Follow them
Honor Your Body
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.“
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us. Do we honor Him with our body?
We’re all guilty of giving in to foods and drink that are not good for us. We slack off on exercise and allow our bodies to weaken. These are examples of dishonoring God by not taking care of it.
Is there anything you need to do to take better care of the temple of God?
Conclusion
We know God is worthy of our honor. Giving Him honor brings us closer to Him and helps us submit to His will.
Looking at different ways of honoring Him can help us focus more on Him and what He means to us.
Try doing a word study on “honor”. Blue Letter Bible is a good place to check out and learn more about studying God’s Word.
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