Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10, ESV)
Honor was a common concept among warriors of old. Duels were held as a means to uphold and defend honor—honor of self and honor of others.
Today, it can be difficult to see people living in a manner that honors others, let alone God. Dreams, talents, bodies—all are dishonored and devalued in our world. But as followers of Christ, we have a higher calling. We become valiant warriors for our Father when we honor the Lord and others. We look definitively different from those around us when we conduct ourselves in a manner of godly love and affection.
Outdo one another in showing honor. Meditate on this idea. What might that look like? How might others rise up as a result of our acting in ways that honor the body—our own and others’—when society doesn’t uphold God’s standards? How can honoring Christ in our decision-making increase our influence for Him? How will our acting with noble character magnify our witness in a time when one’s word doesn’t mean as much as it did in eras past?
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor (1 Samuel 2:8, NIV).
Lest we forget our lineage, this verse reminds us we are inheriting a throne of honor. Let our heart and actions honor the Lord and others in a manner worthy of our inheritance.
