All of God’s creation is important to Him. Jesus told us that God remembers each sparrow, even though there are thousands (Luke 12:6-7). But Jesus said that people are even more valuable to God. In fact, God counts every hair on our heads! God shows us how important we are to Him when He pursues a relationship with us. And He started in the very beginning when He sought out Adam and Eve in the garden. God shows us how much He values us because He loves us.
Honor is letting someone know you see how valuable they really are. Like God’s honor is fueled by His love for us, we show honor back to God because we love Him. And we follow God’s example when we show honor to others. Showing honor demonstrates that we see others as God sees them. Every person we meet has value to God and deserves our honor.
The monthly memory verse is: “Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves (Romans 12:10, NIrV).” When we spend the time to get to know people, we are showing them that their ideas, feelings, and abilities are valuable. We give them honor by recognizing the contributions they can make in our lives.
In Week One’s Bible story, David didn’t seem like someone who would be the next king, and he sure didn’t look like he could defeat a giant (1 Samuel 16:1-13; 17:1-58). But God could see David’s heart and knew he was worthy of honor. Our Bottom Line is:Honor others by giving them a chance. Everyone deserves a chance to be more than we expect.
In Week Two’s Bible story, Jonathan is a prince and rightful heir to the throne (1 Samuel 18:1-9; 19:1-7; 20:1-42). ButJonathan chooses to honor God and David by stepping aside and helping his friend take the throne. Our Bottom Line is: Honor others by putting them first. When we take the time to think about what the other person wants or needs, and put them above our own desires, it shows how important they are.
In Week Three’s Bible story, David had promised to treat Jonathan’s family with kindness when he became king. Many years later, David kept that promise by taking care of Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:13 and 4:4). Our Bottom Line is: Honor others by keeping your promises. It shows we value them enough to be truthful and work to do what we said we would do.
In Week Four’s Bible story, David led the Israelites in celebrating an historic moment in the kingdom (2 Samuel 6:12b-22a). He was celebrating something God had done, so he wanted to bring more honor to God than to himself. Our Bottom Line is:Honor God by giving Him the credit. God has given us everything. So, when we are successful at something in life, we can celebrate that and thank God for what He’s done for us.
By Jessica McKee ©2013 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com *Used by permission.