“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain by eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” I Peter 5:2-4
To honor means to “value.” It can also mean “to receive” when used in estimating worth. In Matthew 10:40-42, Jesus tells us that when we receive a prophet, a righteous man, or a child, that we will receive a reward. The prophet is someone who is in authority over us. A righteous man is a believer who is on the same level as we are. The child is illustrative of someone who is under authority. Most of us have experienced at least two, if not all three, of these positions of authority. Each position is one that is deserving of honor, or value, and should be received as such.
If you are a man or woman in authority, whether as an employer, a civil leader, a spiritual leader, parent, or other position, you are to show honor to your subordinates. Jesus is our example of how a leader should treat those underneath authority, to walk in confidence, but also in humility; to give direction, but also to serve.
Honoring a person can be an attitude of the heart, but demonstrating that honor through action is what communicates honor with others. Here are a few ways you can show another person that they are of worth to you:
Share your time
Speak encouraging words
Give them a gift
Take action to help them with something
Provide them opportunity
Give them credit for something they’ve done
Realize that God is the One who puts true value on people, and honor the Ones He honors. People who are subordinate to us should have our esteem, but we should also consider people who are in a lesser position, such as, those who are poor, younger, older, or different from the status quo. Those who are not treated equally, those who are not the best, those who have failed, those who are hurting, sick, disabled, or forgotten – these are also example of people of value that could use uplifting. God will honor you when you honor those that He values.
Application: Who is a person either under your authority or someone who is in a service position? Do something to show them they have value.