What does the Bible teach about honor?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Honor is a topic that we find discussed throughout the entire Bible, and it is of great importance to God and our walk with Him. The dictionary defines honor as: "honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions." To honor someone is to hold him in high respect or to treat him with honor. God wants us to honor those who are in positions of authority because they are representatives of God's ultimate authority over all. But honor goes beyond just people with authority over us. We are to honor all people by treating them with dignity and respect. "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor" (1 Peter 2:17). We are called to honor God and as an outworking of that, honor others.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God calls His people to honor Him above all else (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 6:5; Psalm 29:2; Malachi 1:6).
• Proverbs 3:9 calls us to honor the Lord with our wealth and firstfruits of all our produce.
• First Samuel 2:30 says that God will honor those who honor Him. A prophet told the priest Eli, "Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever.’'"
• The Lord warned against those who honor Him with their lips but not their hearts. In Isaiah 29:13–14, "The Lord said: 'Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.'"
• The Bible instructs us to honors our parents. The first time this is mentioned is in the Ten Commandments: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you" (Exodus 20:12).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Bible makes it clear that we are to honor God above all else and give Him the glory due Him forever (1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 5:13).
• God honors us for honoring Him: "If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him" (John 12:26). As we honor God, He honors us, but He may not honor us in ways that the world would consider to be honor such as status, wealth, and recognition.
• The command to honor one’s father and mother is repeated throughout the Bible and is specifically referenced again in the New Testament by Paul (Ephesians 6:2–3).
• Employers and employees are instructed to show honor in their treatment of each other. Employers are to treat their workers "justly and fairly" (Colossians 4:1). Employees are likewise told: "Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Colossians 3:22–23). Both employers and employees are to treat the other with dignity and respect, honoring one another with honest dealings in work and compensation.
• First Peter 2:17 says: "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor."
• Romans 12:10 says, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
• We are also commanded to honor our church leaders and government officials, by praying for them and respecting the positions that they hold: "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way" (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Romans 13:1–7 talks of submitting to governing authority and specifically includes paying “honor to whom honor is owed.” First Peter 5:1–5 and Hebrews 13:17 have more specific instructions regarding how church leaders are to care for the flock and how those under their care should respond.
• Church elders and teachers are to receive a double portion of honor: "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching" (1 Timothy 5:17).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

We should honor God in every area of our lives: our actions and words (Colossians 3:17), treatment of others (Proverbs 14:31), physical bodies (Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:19), money and possessions (Proverbs 3:9), and marriages (Hebrews 13:4). How we honor others is a reflection of how we honor God. Jesus is our example of how to honor others and we are to walk as He did: "By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked" (1 John 2:5–6). We are to honor God in all circumstances, even when our earthly "reward" involves persecution: "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). Honor is a reward for our righteous living, humility, and faithfulness to God (Proverbs 21:21; 29:23). We can be confident that God sees our honorable living and will reward us for it in His timing: "The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life" (Proverbs 22:4).

UNDERSTAND

• God calls us to honor Him.
• God also calls us to honor others.
• How we honor God is reflected in how we honor others and vice versa.

REFLECT

• What does it look like to honor God in your daily actions and decisions?
• When do you find it most challenging to honor others, and why?
• How could you better reflect God’s honor by the way you treat those around you?

ENGAGE

• How can we create a culture where honoring others is normal? What impact might such an honoring culture have on those watching from the outside?
• How does understanding honor as an act of obedience to God change our perspective on how we treat authority figures?
• What does honoring others teach us about God’s character, and how can this shape our walk with Him?