“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” – Romans 12:10
SEAPC’s core values serve as cornerstones for who we are as well as how we relate to others. SEAPC operates under sixteen core values that truly define who we are. This week our staff gathered as a team to discuss one of the core values – honor – led by Tony Wimer, SEAPC USA’s management director. As we considered the concept of honor from a Godly perspective, Tony shared his experience witnessing this quality in a friend.
Tony recently returned from Myanmar where he has spent the last month leading two short-term missions teams. As the team leader, Tony worked closely with our friend Pastor Chung Nung, who exemplified Godly honor. Romans 12:10 exhorts us to, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” Chung Nung honored each team member as he selflessly served them. Early each morning Chung Nung would take time from his busy schedule to drive to the location where the team stayed. He would greet them, pray with them, and address any questions or concerns about the day’s activities. This even included making sure each team member was equipped with a bottle of water and hand sanitizer. What an example of honoring others!
A team member followed up with a very thought-provoking statement, “Godly honor is the ATM card that allows us to access God’s blessings.”
So what exactly is “Godly honor”? The apostle Paul spells it out clearly in Ephesians.
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” – Ephesians 4:2-7
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32
When we treat others with Godly honor what are some of God’s blessings that we can access?
Treating someone with honor allows us to catch a glimpse of the unique expression of how God views us and others. This facilitates the process of viewing things through God’s eyes. We learn to value ourselves and others, and love as God does. When this happens we foster a Godly unity in the body.
Let’s all determine to make some earthly “deposits” that will allow us to withdraw some of God’s blessings. It may be a hard process, but the returns are well worth the effort!
