A Culture of Honor

It can be hardest to love those who are closest to us. Have you heard this saying before? During this time of extreme togetherness it might ring more true than ever for you. Bill Johnson recently said, “A culture of honor is celebrating who a person is without stumbling over who they’re not.” This is exactly what we need to cultivate right now: a culture of honor. Sometimes it can be extremely difficult when all we see is the negative in a person. Sometimes we see so much potential and so little to celebrate presently. However, we saw David honoring Saul in the Bible even though there was so much he could have stumbled over (1 Samuel 24-28). We also saw Jesus honoring Peter even though Peter said and did some pretty ridiculous things (Matthew 16:18). So, how do we cultivate a culture of honor in our own lives? I’d like to suggest doing something that I took the time to do this weekend. It helped to reshape my thinking! Think of five people who are close to you. Maybe they’re family members, co-workers, roommates, or friends. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the deposit of God—the gold—in each person and for a plan on how to intentionally celebrate him or her and call them into their true identity. Let’s learn how to celebrate the people in our lives rather than stumble over who they’re not.