HONOR
By Tara Wentworth
What does it mean to honor someone? The definition of honor is to value, appreciate, esteem or respect. All true honor comes from the heart. It cannot be mandated or even expected, but when a person is not honored or is dishonored, we treat them as common or ordinary and we do not show them respect.
Deep within all of us is a desire and a need to be valued. Every human being has value in the eyes of God. It is “us” that sometimes allows bias, prejudice and wrong judgments to cause us to devalue someone who was created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26) I like to think about it as a many colored tapestry. Each thread contributes to the overall pattern and design. Without that particular thread, it will not have the look or dynamic that the creator desires. I believe each of us has a unique part of our Creator which we can express better and more fully than anyone else. When we do not fulfill our life’s purpose, that part of God’s unique expression is not fully realized and the world will be the poorer because of it.
Many of us don’t have any problem honoring or respecting someone we consider worthy of our respect. We can treat them special and appreciate their qualities. But, what about those who, for one reason or another, have not earned or gained our respect? What about those we know so well that all we “see” are their faults and weaknesses? Those we are closest to, our spouses, our family members, our employers, tend to be the ones we treat with disrespect. We treat them as common or ordinary.
In a beautiful tapestry, it may be the dark brown or black threads, themselves not much to look at, that highlight or bring definition to an area filled with brilliant colors. Without them, the tapestry might be very colorful but lacks a design or theme that gives the whole thing a glory or beauty it would not have otherwise.
I once heard a story about a young woman from another culture who was rather “homely”. Her father fretted over the fact that she would never be betrothed, which was very shameful in that culture. She did not carry herself well because of the shame she brought to her family. One day a young prince came through that village. He had been traveling from village to village looking for a wife. He could have had his pick of any of the beautiful women in the land. He chose this young girl and offered her father a dowry befitting of a princess. Of course the father thought it rather strange, but gladly gave his homely daughter to this handsome prince for a very sizeable dowry.
Over the next few years this homely young woman began to carry herself like a princess and became one of the fairest women in all the land. As she received value from one who loved her and saw beyond her outward appearance, she became one who was honored and highly esteemed by all who knew of her. She became a woman of great beauty.
Who do you know that may need being appreciated and treated special? Can you “see” beyond what you know and help them to become all they were created to be? Our children each have unique personalities and gifts. Part of a parent’s responsibility is to help them discover their destinies. If we constantly belittle them, demean them and don’t encourage them, they will become exactly what we have been speaking over them. Most successful people have had someone in their lives who valued them, who saw the potential they had and encouraged them to become someone who is honorable. If it wasn’t a parent, perhaps it was a teacher or school counselor, a pastor or Sunday school teacher. Each of us can be used to bless and honor others. Treat someone special today!
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