First Peter 2:17 instructs us to honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, and honor the king. In Romans 13:1-6 tells us we should submit to the governing authorities because God has established them. Romans 13:2 tells us that rebelling against the ruling authorities is the same as rebelling against God. The idea that God placed the people in authority in that position gives them a higher place we should be obedient and show respect. It was God’s choice for them to be in that position, so we have to dignify it based on what God deemed necessary. To disrespect the person God chooses would be disrespecting God.
The Bible instructs us to honor each other and to show respect to those that allow respect to be shown. The Bible does not suggest that we show honor but demands that we honor each other. Exodus 20:12 commands that we honor our father and mother. Matthews 15:4 takes this idea further by stating, “for God commanded, honor your father and your mother, and whoever reviles father or mother must surely die. Reviles means to be abusive, criticize, injure or insult. Ephesians 6:5-9 talks about how we should honor and respect our employer and how the employer should respect and honor the people that work for them. Honor and respect are two-way in that “knowing that whatever good anyone does will be received back from the Lord.”
Hebrews 13:4 states, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Ephesians 5:23-33 goes into great detail on how the husband and wife are to act in their relationship showing total respect, submission, honor, and love for each other. It directs the husband and wife to love each other as they would love themselves. It can be argued that the word love means virtually the same thing as honor. The love between a husband and wife would be lessened if it were not accompanied by honor. And it would not be easy to honor a person without some love being shared. We are directed to show honor and love one another in Romans 12:10.
The Book of Proverbs, written mainly by Solomon, is considered a Book of “wisdom,” attempting to show people how to live a good life. Solomon believed that the beginning of knowledge came from a healthy fear of the Lord. Solomon’s principles for everyday life were a mixture of common sense, complete reverence for God, and honoring oneself and others. Proverbs 22:4 states, “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” Proverbs 21:21 promises, “whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. Proverbs 29:23 goes on to say, “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
The concept of honor discussed in the Scriptures seems to be very different from what we have been experiencing in America for the past few years. We have been in pursuit of our egos, building wealth, and obtaining power. False celebrities, TicTok personalities, and societal influencers that have contributed nothing to the real world have gained the attention of a whole generation. First Peter 5:5 warns that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” We seem to live in a world that confuses false pride and ego with what honor is supposed to be. “Could the concept of honor be at the core of many conflicts between different social groups? Honor is an abstract concept that includes personal, individual values (“ethos”) as well as norms of social interaction (“code of behavior”). Honor is a measure of the quality of a person, including personal ethics, e.g., honesty, compassion, valor, and chivalry. Honor lies at the core of who we are and aspire to be and how we make choices. When making difficult choices, and when the consequences are significant, why do we feel more stressed? Might that stress result from the friction between our selfish desires and other needs, be they practical or social?” (Wu, 2018) Is there honor in any of the current political groups? It would seem that they are all interested in tearing down our country instead of building it up. The socialist and communist views now overshadow the once proud American. America has been fighting against it since the beginning of our country.
The U.S. military suggests, “Honor is a matter of carrying out, acting, and living the values of respect, duty, loyalty, selfless service, integrity and personal courage in everything you do.” Minerva Peter from Continuous Process Improvement at YPG believes that “honor helps define whom you are as a person while serving as a guiding light for your growth and character. “Having honor defines you to others. If you have honor, you are a known quantity and therefore can be trusted.” Former Republican Senator from Wyoming, while talking about honor, once said, “if you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.” Many people want to be honorable, so they will admire or be liked. But these people are really missing the point of how honor works. The greatest value of having honor is how you get to view yourself. Having true honor and integrity means you do not have to worry about how others may feel toward you or how they feel. Having honor and integrity means you have every right to be completely comfortable in how you conduct your life, treat people, and live above the fray. “Just as other cultural norms have shifted in our country, honor seems to have become a forgotten virtue. It has devolved so much that simply honoring others with words like “sir,” “ma’am,” and “thank you” can make people a bit suspicious of your motives. In fact, dishonor prevails in our entertainment, social media arguments, political discourse, children and parents, even husbands and wives. Honor causes everything around us to elevate and attracts the blessing of God. But if that’s going to happen, we need to be people who intentionally practice honor. But you may ask – who should we honor? I would say everyone! Just pick someone and start honoring them and watch how your life is elevated and begins to attract God’s blessing.” (Santora, 21)
Depending on your version, the word “honor” appears between 135 and 150 times in the Bible. Many verses do not contain the word honor but direct us in some way or another to show love, honor, and respect to God, each other, and ourselves. First Samuel 2:30 is very plain, “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.” And then John 12:26 confirms this by stating, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My father will honor the one who serves me.”
Santora, F. (21, 5 19). Bible Study Tools. Retrieved from The Importance of Honor in the Christain Life: https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/the-importance-of-honor-in-the-christian-life.html
Wu, P. (2018, 8 10). Psychology Today. Retrieved from What Has Happened to the Concept of Honor: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/jacobs-staff/201808/what-has-happened-the-concept-honor#:~:text=Honor%20is%20a%20measure%20of,be%2C%20how%20we%20make%20choices.