Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
– Romans 12:10 (ESV)
Just picture it. Everyone, all of us, striving hard to outdo each other in showing honor to each other. Or, as it’s rendered in the NASB, to “give preference to one another in honor.”
I love that! Picture it. Brothers and sisters saying, in small ways and big ways, “This honor is coming to me, but I’d prefer it go to you.” Brothers and sisters loving each other not just as a “have to”, but with affection. In other words, not just loving each other but also “liking” each other, that we might be a true family.
Beautiful. What a light to shine in a world that sometimes seems crammed full of chest-pounding, glad-handing, end-zone-dancing, boasting, braying, glory hogs. And sometimes the hog doing the chest-pounding (ow), end-zone-dancing (ever seen me dance? Not a pretty sight), boasting and braying is me. And that, my friends, will suck the light out of any situation.
Dear Lord, may I strive, with motives clean and heart pure, to outdo others in passing honor on to them. That ultimately You will be honored, above all and alone. For You alone deserve all honor.
Yes. That Scripture says it perfectly.
This is a well written post. It is a nice idea to picture.
Thanks Bethany.
Easier to picture than to do. But I’m trying to keep it in mind today as I go about my work.
How would you put this into practice?
Lauren
That’s a great question. I believe, like most things, it starts in the mind, then flows to the will and into action. For instance, when I enter a room is my first thought “notice me!” or is it “who can I bless here, whether anyone notices me or not?” –
I’ve long thought that true humility doesn’t think about how humble it’s being 🙂 – and that’s difficult.
For myself (and I am at the beginnings of this) I need to remain observant of those around me, and truly look for ways to bless them – in spirit and truth, not falsely – and – as the Bible says – give the better seat to someone else.
I think that I’m not answering your question 🙂 – My sense is that if we drink in the words of the Lord in the sermon on the mount and began to attempt, God giving us the ability, to put those words into practice we are a step closer to this goal.
What are your thoughts?
Are you saying that humbling myself brings honor to other people?
If I understand you correctly, you are saying in humility consider others greater than myself like phil 2:3. (I believe that honors the Lord, too)
Me being humble and considering others greater, is that what honoring others mean? So in essence we should strive to be out do each other in humility? is this it?
I think your reference to Philippians 2 is a great one – because that’s really the answer here: let this mind be in us that was also in Christ Jesus.
We have to be careful about what we mean when we say “humbling myself”, however. Often times my “humbling myself” is a particularly nefarious form of pride – “look how humble I am”.
I wrote about this quite awhile ago in this post: The clothing of humility. Not sure if that will help, but you might give that a read.
Thanks Lauren
yes I see, thanks very much 🙂
Is it “Bloo” or “Blo”? I kinda like “Out of the Blo” 😉
This is one of those kickers that is easy to say, and superhuman to practice. I believe it takes a lot of Phil 4:13 to accomplish. 🙂
[Sent from my new bb btw–just call me uber-geek :-p]
Brian – I’m jealous!
Thor – must you bring up that name? I cannot escape the spectre of Blo!