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The Pastoral Lens
In The Name of Honour
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the whole concept of honour. The basic meaning of the word is to esteem someone above the rest. There are many people whom we should honour, according to the Bible. There are parents, pastors/elders, the aged, government leaders, and of course, the Lord Himself.We just finished celebrating Mothers' Day, and in June, we will celebrate Fathers' Day. I feel that these are important yearly reminders of what we should be doing every single day of our lives. The Bible says this in Ephesians 6:1-3: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honour your father and your mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long upon the land." We are clearly commanded to "render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." (Romans 13:7).
One of the key groups of people that many have trouble honouring is government leaders. The reason for this, in my estimation, is due to the fact that many, because of a lack of integrity and character, have deemed themselves unworthy of honour by those who are supposed to honour them. Therein lies the big problem for us. Honour is due, not because the person necessarily deserves it, but because the position demands it. This is quite a challenge.
There have been times when I have disagreed with the decisions our prime minister, the Hon. Jean Chretien, has made. He and I would be poles apart on many moral and family issues. I am not about to set aside my Scriptural convictions to agree with him, either. Nevertheless, I have a command from Scripture to honour him in the words I say about him. I can do that with a clear conscience knowing that God is my rewarder.
My mother worked for many years in a fine-dining establishment in Windsor, Ontario. During her lengthy tenure as a waitress, she worked for two different employers. These two employers were hard, exacting people and as a result, many of the employees disdained them through gossip and complaining. I'm not here to say that my mom never complained, but I can say that she always looked for the good in them and in the job she had. She honoured them through her refusal to be a whiner and by giving an honest day's work for an honest day's wage. My mom was considered the leading waitress there right up until the day she retired. Once, while hospitalized for a significant period of time, the owner came to visit her and let her know how much she was missed. She had thought about quitting at that time, but he even begged her to come back!
With the possibility of a provincial election coming up soon, now would be a good time to reconsider our responsibility to bring honour to those in government. God honours those who honour Him, and when we honour those whom are in a position of honour, we do honour Him.
