Honour 1 Tim. 1:17 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
In the Bible, we are to honour certain people in our lives. This lesson is about whom we are to honour. To honour someone means to show high regard or appreciation for: to pay tribute to (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary). We are to honour:
God – 1 Tim 1:17; Jn 5:23 – so in all matters we hold God in the highest regard and show him our greatest appreciation. We honor him above all others. Can you imagine the paltry honor given to God by our country? We mention him in our pledge of allegiance and on our currency but kick him out of our federal buildings and out of our schools. His name is used more in cursing than in praise. I hate Hollywood for its continual use of his name in vain to sell its movies. I refuse to watch what is produced out of that place and disdain its actors who so proudly curse God. You and I should honor God with our praise, our songs, our prayers, our substance, all we have and our very lives.
The King – 1 Pet 2:17; Rom 13:7 – we don’t have a king but we have “powers that be” who are “ordained of God,” [Rom 13:1-7]. We honor them with our prayers [1 Tim 2:1-2], with our submission [1 Pet 2:13-14] and with our respect. It bothers me when people refer to our president by his last name only. I believe the office is worthy of more honor than that. It really bothers me when, no matter who holds that office, they talk trash about him. That’s our president. I believe dishonoring “the powers that be” is one of the major contributing factors to the loss of respect for authority among young people in this country.
Elders – 1 Tim 5:17 – all elders who rule well should be honored, but double honor is due to those elders who “labour in the word and doctrine.” Unfortunately, many pastors have used the office of an elder “for filthy lucre” and to become “lords over God’s heritage.” Thus, they have brought reproach to the office. I was talking with a mother in our church who was teaching her son some things about prayer. She said to him, “Pray over every decision. However, if I have told you what to do or your pastor has told you what to do, don’t bother praying about it; just do it.” There’s a woman who is teaching her son what it means to honor his elder.
Parents – Lk 18:20; Eph 6:2 – you can’t make this command any simpler than God already has, “Honour thy father and thy mother.” You honor your parents with obedience, with respect, with love, and with service. They have done so much for us; honoring them is the least we can do. Don’t do anything that would bring reproach or embarrassment to your parents. Like Jesus did with Mary and Joseph, be “subject unto them,” [Lk 2:51].
Our Wives – 1 Pet 3:7 – wives are to reverence their husbands, and husbands are to honor their wives. We are to honor our wives with our praise [Prov 31:28], with our faithfulness, with our love, with our support, with our understanding, and with our affection. Our children should know, our friends should know, our neighbors should know, and our associates should know that we honor our wives.
Each Other – Rom 12:10; 1 Pet 2:17 – we are to honor one another. We are members of the same body, Christ’s body, the Church, and we are to bestow on the members of his body the honor befitting a child of God.
Widows – 1 Tim 5:3 – we are to honor widows who are widows indeed [1 Tim 5:9-10]. Those who have served the Lord well, we should support and serve as our own family.
Conclusion: when you bestow honour to whom honour is due, you may receive the honour that is due to you.