God has called us to become vessels of honor. The Bible calls us to honor God in everything we do. The Bible says, if we honor God he will honor us. But if we dishonor Him, he will lightly esteem us. I have seen too many Christians buy into the culture of dishonor as displayed on Fox News, MSNBC and other news outlets and blogs toward elected officials. We find this same culture of dishonor in relationships – be it between husband and wife or parents and children. Spiritual authorities are not exempt either from this problem. When it comes to spiritual authorities, I have observed two extremes in the ways church folks relate to them.
1. Church leaders are either put on pedestals – or
2. They are very lightly esteemed
As a result, we receive incredibly more value from those we highly esteem, but no value at all from those we lightly esteem. We receive lots of blessings from those we honor but receive very fewer blessings from those we dishonor.
Is it possible for God to use your church leaders to speak to you and minister in supernatural ways to you and your family? Is it possible to see signs and wonders happening in your church every time you gather? Is it possible to become too familiar with the Divine and treat it lightly? Is it possible to undervalue the ones closest to you? I think so!
Too many church folks look down on their spiritual leaders. This is one of the reasons for church hopping. Too many church folks are in the habit of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to go see big name evangelist, but lightly esteem the men and women God has set before them.
Too many relationships are dying, marriages are broken because of dishonor. How will your marriage or relationship look like if you honor your spouse, and did not exasperate your children to anger?
We ask for God’s Spirit to rest upon us, but when He does, we grieve him by our actions, indifference, and carelessness. We seek his presence, but when he shows up, we treat him casually.
There is a very well-known story in the bible that illustrates this beautifully. It’s a story about Jesus and his home town folks. Look at Mark 6:1-5:
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.
This short passage speaks volumes about the attitude of the people in Jesus’ home town. They esteemed him lightly and took offense at him. For those reasons, Jesus could not do any miracles, signs or wonders. Because the attitude of these folks actually determined their ability to receive any blessing or miracle from Jesus.
This is a sad picture of many Churches today. People come and go without actually touching God or hearing from Him in deep and satisfying ways because they do not hold in high regard that place of worship.
Too many relationships remain barren and bankrupt of Hope, Joy, and fulfillment because those in the relationship fail to place value, worth and honor on each other.
What is your attitude toward your leaders? What is your attitude toward the divine? How confident are you in their leadership? What kind of value do you place on the life and ministry of those whom The Lord has placed in charge over you? How do you treat the gifts and talents? Have you set your heart to honoring God in everything you do?
The measure of value you place on them is the same measure of value you will receive from them.
Walter Bright 