There is nothing wrong with having honor. In fact, the Bible teaches that honor has its rightful place in the life of both the believer and society. Romans 13:7 instructs us to render honor to whom honor is due. God Himself recognizes the importance of honor, declaring in 1 Samuel 2:30, “For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.”
The question, therefore, is not whether we should desire honor, but how we should obtain it.
Herein lies a sad irony: the person who desperately grasps for honor through pride is often the very person who ultimately loses it. Pride promises recognition but produces disgrace. Proverbs 11:2 teaches, “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.”
The Bible gives us the proper order in Proverbs 15:33: “Before honor is humility.” Notice that humility is not the enemy of honor; it is the pathway to it. There is nothing wrong with being honored when that honor is rightfully earned and properly received. The problem arises when we demand what we have not earned, seek what we do not deserve, or elevate ourselves above others.
Consider the contrast. Before honor comes humility, but before shame comes pride. Proverbs 18:12 makes this distinction unmistakably clear: “Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility.”
We cannot manufacture genuine honor by demanding recognition. Nor can we preserve it by thinking too highly of ourselves. True honor grows out of a humble heart, a faithful life, and a willingness to serve rather than be served.
Let us never become so consumed with receiving honor from men that we forget to honor God. The greatest honor is not that others should bow before us, but that our lives should bring glory to Him.
BDD
