The Power of Honor

An Overlooked Biblical Key to God’s Blessings

"Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." -Hebrews 13:17

"Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time."

-1 Peter 5:5,6

The Biblical Importance of Honor

This powerful virtue has been forgotten and is overlooked in today's culture. I discovered the hard way that honor and humility toward authority bring the blessings of God like nothing else I have seen in this life.  Things that I didn’t even think about praying for just show up out of nowhere, and I know it is from the Lord' blessing.

But a lot of times, emerging leaders in the body of Christ fall prey to a ploy by the enemy, and it literally halts their progress in what God has gifted and called them to do in His Kingdom, because it traps them in immaturity and pride.  I know, because it happened to me! I was a spiritual novice in the role of a leader.  Paul says this of church leaders:

"...Not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil." (1 Tim 3:6 NKJV)

The devil got into pride, and rebelled against his authority – God Himself.  Talk about choosing the wrong foe!

My Hard Lesson About Honor

When I first started out in full time ministry, I was so excited to finally do something that had been in my heart for years.  I had volunteered in church in every department that would have me, and even attended Bible college in preparation. But…when I got into the ministry position, a lot of wounds, pride, and immaturity started to surface as I unknowingly operated with motives of insecurity and ambition instead of spiritual maturity.  If I didn’t think an authority figure used enough encouragement or tact when they communicated with me, I would become offended.  If they did not shower me with praise when I thought I had done something great, I became offended.  I spent a lot of time feeling offended, ignored, and invisible.  It was a dark period in my life, but God was trying to reveal something to set me free and help me move forward in my maturity in Christ. I also wanted to make sure that I asserted myself to insure promotion in leadership, so I was afraid to look like a ‘yes man’.  So I became a ‘no man’.  Whenever a new program or strategy was announced, I would try to find flaws with it, and often communicate my views in an immature manner.  I know realize that through all of this, I had made myself very difficult for my leadership to work with.

I was open with my criticism of the church and it’s leaders, thinking it would show what a wise and valuable asset I could be.  It revealed the opposite!  I desperately needed grace to fulfill my role, but found myself painfully dry of spiritual strength, ideas, and God’s help. I eventually left full-time ministry, feeling wounded and ignored.  But God began to show me through a few mentors and Christian counselors that I was, in short, a spiritual teenager.  Teenagers often get confused about how to grow in confidence and independence in life, especially toward authority.  I had become stuck there early in life, without a father or strong coach to help me break the childishness, wounds and pride that filled my heart and colored the way I saw everyone and everything in life.

Finally, I read John Bevere’s book ‘Honor’s Reward’, got in a church that taught me how to humble myself, and I began to humble myself.  I even called some of my previous leaders and asked forgiveness, reconnected, and saw God begin to move in a more powerful way in my life than ever before. 

God was waiting on me to choose humility and healing, and forgiveness, so that He could unleash grace in my life, and through my life into the world.  In short, He was waiting on me to grow into spiritual adulthood through honor.

Nowadays, when one of my leaders tells me to do something I don’t enjoy, or when the organization implements a strategy that I think should be done a different way, I get excited to bite my tongue and submit, because I know that a ‘Yes Sir’ or ‘Yes Ma’am’ answer unlocks the blessing of God in my life powerfully!  I discovered a SECRET: The more I submit cheerfully, the more God hooks me up with things I don’t deserve.

If asked my opinion, I carefully give my analysis, but I work very hard to communicate that in a spirit of meekness.  Humility and honor are the golden keys to unlock so much of what we are praying and believing God for in life! Honor brings the blessing and grace of God, period.  We cannot bypass it with faith, works, talent, anointing or money.  If we bypass honor, we open up our lives for the enemy to begin hindering our prayers and stealing our blessings.  It is not worth the cost to express immature attitudes and dishonoring opinions, or to be difficult for church leadership to work with.  As Hebrews 13:17 says, it is downright unprofitable.

#honor #character #discipleship #Jesus #succeed