Do you remember the last time you received a school yearbook? My guess is that as soon as that book touched your fingertips, you were hustling through those pages to find picture of who? That’s right… A picture of YOU!
It doesn’t matter what all the others on that page look like. It just matters in that yearbook how YOU look. Some of you probably circled your own face, and in the process ended up drawing right through the faces of others. I’m not criticizing you because my yearbook is no different. I found myself on every page I was in. Whether we like to admit it or not, everyone’s very subject is themselves.
Deep down, we love to feel special and important (TWEET IT!)
Knowing this to be true, how can we use this knowledge to HONOR others? The truth is that we will never sincerely honor anyone until we have the attitude of humility. Honoring and respecting others will not happen when a superior or holier-than-thou attitude is present. Paul tells us to “esteem others better than” ourselves (Philippians 2:3) and “to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought” (Romans 12:3).
Of course, we already know that honoring our parents is emphasized in the Bible, but do we really think about “honoring” people generally – not just parents? We live in a culture today of dishonor. The media loves to profit from destroying a reputation. Slowly over time, the cruel words and negative criticism soon begin to creep in and infect the attitudes of our culture. We too, if we are not careful, will begin to think and talk in the same dishonoring way.
God’s hope for our world is that we would respect and honor one another. Romans 12:10 encourages us to “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” But, do we honor one another? When was the last time we actively and consciously honored someone? When did we last thank, call someone to show respect, or write a letter of appreciation? If we are not, maybe it is an indication that we think too highly of ourselves and not highly enough of others.
Most people only honor others in high places or when they have something to gain. My challenge to you today is to start honoring everyone. Interview everyone. Remember that everyone’s favorite subject is themselves and use this to your advantage. Honor is a skill. I remember three simple disciplines:
- Be a good listener
- Talk in terms of other peoples’ interests
- Make people feel special and important
And remember to smile when you honor people! 93% of communication is non-verbal. People love smiles, and you can lift their spirits by simply showing your teeth!
Next time you’re at the check out line of your local grocery store, try to honor that cashier as if they were the Mayor of your town. Ask them questions. Make them know just how important they are in this world, and that God loves them more than they could imagine.
So first, we humble ourselves, then give honor to everyone. See how you feel after lighting up smiles on the faces of others all day. This is love. Love honors everyone.
By Jordan Kemper
After graduating from Wheaton College with degrees in Kinesiology as well as Theology, Jordan declined medical school to pursue his passion of health & wellness through entrepreneurship. At just 22 years old, he started OneBody International and began his journey of improving the lives of others with help from USANA Health Sciences.
Jordan’s organization is comprised of more than 15,000 clients in 19 different countries. Since 2007, Jordan has traveled the world inspiring thousands of people on stages with experts such as Dr. Oz, Tony Robbins and John Maxwell. Connect with Jordan at his website, and through Facebook or Twitter.
Hi Friends! Debra here….So great to have our friend and brother in Christ, Jordan with us for post #5 of the #LoveIs series today, as we tackle the traits of 1 Corinthians 13 one at a time! I’ve truly enjoyed reading the different perspectives of these important traits REAL LOVE. Thanks for reading along at TrueLoveDates.com, and be sure to catch up on the ENTIRE #LoveIs Series by clicking on the photo below or subscribing to my blog!
