Honor

I have been thinking about a conversation I had with one of my contacts in Thailand about honor.  I was being blessed abundantly by this family, as was my team, and it was a similar theme I had seen throughout the country, and I asked why did they honor us so?  The answer was very simple, and yet incredibly complex, and one I have thought on often ever since.  I was essentially told that: We honor not for what you have to offer, but because you came to offer anything at all.    

I have lately began to think about what it would look like for the body of Christ were to operate in this way.  If it didn’t matter what the person sitting next to us “came to the table with”, but just because they were “sitting at the table” at all, they would be honored by our actions, our motives, and even our thoughts.  

I have recently found myself in a new position in my Parent’s house.  After two years of living out of the house, and not being home longer than an average of 2 days at a time, I have come to realize that I am at an age where obedience isn’t really required anymore…….however, honor still is.  I remember growing up and hearing about this age and thinking that it was a “get off the hook” age where responsibility was lifted, and freedom set in.   I have of late, however, come to a completely different thought process about the subject.

I have realized that living a life of honor, opposed to obedience or duty, is actually a higher step up, and even a harder one.  That it takes a person of honor to honor someone else well.  It takes a person of integrity and character, and someone with a great deal of strength to honor those around you, Not because “the act” of honoring is hard, but the heart sometimes is.  It takes character and integrity to do something, not because you have to,  but simply because of the person who asked something of you, because they are of value, and they asked.  

It takes character and integrity to think more about the person next to you than it does yourself, as our minds’ favorite topic is often ourselves, even if we over spiritualize it 🙂  

I know that I have a tendency to use a lot of words, in reality however, honor is rather a simple concept “It doesn’t matter what you have to offer, but because you offer anything at all, I will honor (bless) you”.  The reason why doesn’t really matter… 

( I would like to add an addendum that this is by no means a concept that i have grasped, but something I have been thinking on and am currently working towards lately) 

Thanks for reading 🙂