Showing Honor

Let love be genuine.

Abhor what is evil;

hold fast to what is good.

Love one another with brotherly affection.

Outdo one another

in showing honor.

-Romans 12.9-10

It is easy to read through some verses and breeze over the instruction and meaning. When I read these short verses again and focus on each word as I read it, a whole new depth arises from some simple words.

Abhor what is evil. We are surrounded by evil in our days. We are to shrink from it in disgust and detest it. Simply put- stay away from the evil that Satan throws in your path.

While we shrink away from the evil we are to hold onto what is good. Like love, which is to be true and honest, and shared with others in the most genuine way.

Then the verse says to outdo one another in showing honor. To outdo is to exceed or surpass and to do one's best or better than expected. This is what struck me as I read these lines slowly, digesting each word. We are to outdo one another in honor. I don't think most of us do that as much as we should and there is no reason why we aren't able to. Are we showing honor to our friends, family, co-workers, and the cashiers at the store?

Are we exceeding expectations in showing the following definitions of honor?

-high regard

-great respect

-something done as a token of respect

-purity

-keen sense of right and wrong

Challenge:

How can we show more honor to others in our daily lives? It strikes me that all these verses are focused on the acts towards others. It's not about you. It's about showing love a caring for others in a way that Christ would. These are principles that Christ exemplified and that we are to follow.