This week I am so thankful to God for establishing the importance of authority and honor in our lives. In Matthew 8 a Roman Centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant, but he said he was not worthy of Jesus coming into his home and since he was a man with authority he knew that Jesus only needed to speak the word and his servant would be healed. Jesus was amazed that this foreigner understood the kingdom principles of authority and honor.
Authority is Clothed in Humility
Authority and honor are gifts God has given to us just like forgiveness and repentance. How did this man get it when so many around him didn’t? Most leaders would have taken the exact opposite position. They would have stood on the grounds that they were over many people and had great influence, therefore they were deserving of a visit from a king. Who else would be more deserving? The greater our authority the greater should be our humility and with this comes honor. While most would have demanded respect this great leader was humble and understood his true spiritual condition. He also recognized Jesus level of authority and understood he needed no help.
God Calls Us to Honor Those in Authority
God has asked us to honor our parents, our leaders and every other human life. These are not earned they are given because of the position God has placed them. Agreement is not required and failure to honor decreases the influence and authority we will have with others, but most importantly with God. We give ourselves a gift when we learn to honor others and we receive greater authority from God. You can have position and title, but that won’t give you spiritual authority if you cannot honor others.
Our True Spiritual Condition is Revealed by Our Love
Respect and honor are also directly connected to our love. When we fail to have the love of God in our hearts we also fail to honor and respect others. Jesus said our true spiritual condition will be reflected in the way we love or fail to love others. If you remember 1 Corinthians says that love does not seek its own way and does not act out against others but true love covers a multitude of sins.
These are exciting times to live! I am so thankful for the Lord’s plan to establish his glory throughout the earth. We are entering a time when those with true spiritual authority will begin to emerge. When we give honor we receive back both authority to fulfill our purpose and destiny and the honor that goes with it. Pride feels good for a moment, but always harms us. Proverb 3:35 “The wise inherit honor.”