Honor – by definition is as follows: to value, respect, or highly esteem; to treat as precious, weighty or valuable. On the flip side, a lack of honor is to dishonor; to treat as common or ordinary.
"Honor publicly results in influence privately." (Andy Stanley)
RESPECT IS EARNED ... HONOR IS GIVEN
Honor can be demonstrated even when respect is not warranted. In fact, the Bible is a book about honoring God and His instruction. The 10 Commandments teach us how to honor. The first four are a warning about dishonoring God and the next six warn us about dishonoring others. We need to understand that the law of honor flourishes in every season & in every environment. It will elevate every part of your life! Honor is a part of the Kingdom culture that God wants you to have in your life. Honor is the willingness to reward someone for their difference. It is not flattery. It must be genuine & heartfelt.
HONOR QUALIFIES YOU TO ENTER ANY FUTURE THAT GOD HAS FOR YOU!
Honor brings power to your life and to the lives of others (see Mark 6:4-6). Jesus said that a prophet is without honor in his home town. One of the lessons that we learn from this story in the gospels (Matthew 13:53-58) is that where there is no honor, there is no power.
Who are we called to honor?
Our Heavenly Father.
The underlying reason that our culture is dishonoring to others is because they do not fear & honor God.
“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me…” Isaiah 29:13
Our Parents, Spouse, Grandparents, Elderly.
“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
“In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7
“Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:32
Those In Authority.
“Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” 1 Peter 2:17
“Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe…respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” Romans 13:7
Everyone You Can.
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:10
What does it look like to honor others in a practical sense?
We honor what we value. One of the core keys to living a life of honor is to keep the value of others high. God has placed an infinite amount of value to your life. It is unlimited and is revealed in His decision to send Jesus to buy us back. Our lives cost Him is one and only Son.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same attitude of mind Christ Jesus had: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:3-8 (NIV)
Selfish ambition means “competitive spirit”; value – you defer to them; respect– a sense of awe, a decision to put the other persons concerns ahead of your own. Honor carries with it the idea that we need to treat each other as an extremely valuable heirloom.
Exercise: ___________________, I value ________________________ about you because _________________________________.
Illustrations: Presidential Salute, Dino from the Flintstones, Rusty & Lilly
Describe what a culture of honor looks like.
What is most needed in our organization to create deeper levels of honor?
What are we doing well to foster a culture of honor? How have you seen honor abused?
When you think about who it is that you have a tough time honoring ... who comes to mind or what kinds of people come to mind?
Words To An Entitled Generation- Craig Groeschel talks to younger leaders about the value of honor and how to have influence in leadership. Honor builds up, dishonor tears down, and the core of our honor stems from our perspective of who God is. How do you honor those that led before you?
Today you get to hear from Danny Silk on how to lead with honor and call people higher into their God-given identity.
One of the most common definitions of honor in the English language is “to have great respect and admiration.” For the purpose of this study, I want you to focus on the word “admire.” Hiding in that word in the English language, is the word “wonder.”
Honor means looking for the wonder in people. What's wonderful about someone? What character traits of God have been deposited in that person?
A friend of mine once told me she loved to listen, write down and memorize the prophetic words that other people get. When I asked why, she said, “Then I know how to treat them according to how heaven sees them.”
You see, honoring people is not at all dependent on whether we feel someone deserves to be honored. It is not dependent on other people's character. Rather, it is dependent on yours. Honor isn't something you get from people. It is something you give to people.
The longer we live together in community is when we see true honor happen. The test of honor is when we disagree. We there are failings, betrayals, and mistakes. It’s in our most intimate relationships. The longer we live together around each other, the more we know people and anticipate them according to their history.
And what happens is, we trap them in their history with us. But honor releases them from that. Honor enables you to see them according to how Heaven sees them. And Heaven doesn't know them according to their history. Heaven knows them according to their unfolding destiny.
As leaders, this is what we should become familiar with: partnering with Heaven to look for the unfolding destiny in the lives of those around us.
The product of honor is a growing prophetic culture, because you are int he practice of speaking life over your people. You are partnering with their tomorrow instead of keeping them hostage in their yesterday.