High respect; great esteem. [Google]
Honor your mother & father, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long & that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 5:16 [ESV]
The other day it dawned on me that Honor isn’t free. What do I mean by it isn’t free?
Well, according to Google, honoring someone is treating them with respect or great esteem. It doesn’t mention doing so after they honor you, or respect you, or compliment you. It just says to treat them that way, it almost implies that you pay the honor forward first.
This got me thinking about the “Golden Rule”…Y’all know the one, “Do to other’s as you’d have them do to you.” If we applied the Golden Rule to everyone we meet & know, honor would become circular. If we paid it forward first it could make, brighten, or even strengthen someone’s day.
Now, I’m not saying honor others to get something in return, but when we do it properly there are gifts attached to it. Just like at the coffee drive-thru when the person in front of you pays for your order, it inspires you to pay for the next person’s. Honoring those around us brings rewards & according to Deuteronomy those include long life & favor.
This week I challenge y’all to not only honor your parent’s, family, & friends, but honor a stranger with your kindness. You never know, you could be the angel they’ve been praying for 🕊
