The Honor Code

Read: Romans 12

Take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10

IN WORD

Honor comes naturally when we greatly esteem someone. We show signs of respect easily, sometimes even creating ceremonies and awards to demonstrate it to the deserving. Other times, we have to be told. And when it’s difficult to honor a person, we may find it necessary to honor the position that person holds. At some level, we consider the need to give and receive honor as a significant part of the human experience.

Something happens when we express honor to other people, even if they don’t think and talk exactly like we do. A blessing is released, and the one who is blessed often becomes open to the things of God. That happens with hardened hearts within the church, to be sure, but it also happens with hardened hearts outside of it. Giving honor, even to those who aren’t “on our side,” seems to open the flow of the Spirit into lives on both sides of the relationship.

That’s a profound Kingdom value, and it’s one of the most powerful ways to influence the world for God. Daniel honored the pagan kings he served, not preaching against them but blessing them, and God greatly impacted their hearts. Some churches today have chosen to honor the contributions of distinct ethnic or religious groups, not as an endorsement but as a sign of respect, and God greatly impacts their hearts too. Something about honor stirs receptivity to the one giving it in the mind of the one receiving it. It’s a profound way to break down barriers.

IN DEED

Think about that. Both within the church and beyond it are walls of division that hinder the flow of the gospel of grace. Expressing honor brings them down. Why wouldn’t we want that? It may be our instinct to withhold honor from those who oppose us—or even just rub us the wrong way a little—but that does nothing for the Kingdom. We will have to take delight in expressing honor liberally—to enjoy it and enthusiastically spread it around—if our spiritual revolution is ever to be successful. Only then can people see the real Kingdom culture and thrive in it.

ADDITIONAL READING: Philippians 2:3-4

Goodness is something so simple: always live for others, never to seek one’s own advantage.

DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD