Honor is a word we don’t think or talk about enough.

In the world, honor is usually tied to agreement, performance, or titles. In error, many people think respect should be earned, and integrity is optional. So, they find it easy to live without honor.

Honor is NOT about how someone treats me first. It’s about how I see God and how I respond to who He values. Honor is theological, not emotional. It flows from reverence, not preference.

Let’s explore 5 facets of honorably following Christ.

Honor begins with God.

1 Peter 2:17 states, “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” Before honor flows outward, it must be rooted upward. The Holy Spirit connects honor to fearing God. This is about reverence, weightiness, and proper valuation.

Psalm 29:2 says, “Give unto the Lord the glory [honor] due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” In Scripture, glory and honor often overlap. To honor God is to treat Him as weighty, not casual. We need to see Him rightly because a low view of God always leads to a light treatment of God.

Honor begins when God is no longer treated lightly but lived for rightly. This shows up not just in worship language, but in obedience, priorities, and daily decisions.

Where does reverence for God show up in your everyday life?

Honor is revealed in how we treat people.

The Holy Spirit does not allow us to separate honoring God from honoring people. Genesis 1:27 informs that “God…

Every person is created in the image of God. That is why 1 Peter 2:17 says, “Honor all people,” without any qualifiers.

The Holy Spirit even says, “Honor the king,” because honor is not rooted in someone else’s behavior, politics, or personality. Honoring others is rooted in our reverential respect (fear) for God.

Honor means thinking more of others than yourself. The Holy Spirit gives us rich application for Christian marriages. 1 Peter 3:7 says, “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife…” Ephesians 5:33 says, “let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

Honor shows up in how we speak, how we listen, and how we disagree. While it is not always felt, it should be practiced.

Who in your life (in the world) is hardest for you to honor, and why?

Honor restrains our responses.

Honor does not excuse wrongdoing, but it restrains reaction.

David’s treatment of King Saul is a clear example. Even when Saul acted unjustly, he refused retaliation. David said, “I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 26:11). David’s restraint was not rooted in Saul’s character, but in his reverence for God. He practiced Romans 12:19 without even knowing it. “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

Honor pauses before speaking. It prays before reacting. How does honor change the way conflict is handled? Any examples?

Honor is revealed by whom we serve.

Jesus says in John 12:26, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”

In God’s Kingdom, we never insist on being honored. Honor is bestowed by others as God leads and sees our faithful service.

Honor is not about who has what gifts or talents. It’s not about who gets the most platform time. It’s about faithfulness.

The Spirit consistently ties honor to servanthood, not status. So, when serving Christ becomes more valuable than protecting preferences, honor shapes the culture of God’s Church.

What does faithful Christian service look like to you?

Honor is ultimately centered on Jesus Christ.

For this last point, I’m giving you the fifth… facet of honor!

Jesus says this in John 5:22-23, “That all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” The fullest expression of honor is not admiration, but submission.

To honor the Son is to receive Him as Savior, obey Him as Lord, and align our lives with His authority. You cannot claim to honor God while sidelining His Son.

There’s no question about it. Honor reaches its highest point when our lives revolve around the will of King Jesus.

Let’s take this home.

Honor is not something we merely discuss. We demonstrate it with our lives. Honor begins with God. It flows toward people. It restrains our responses. It shows up in service. And it finds its fullest expression in honoring Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

So, the final question for this gathering is straightforward:

Where is the Holy Spirit calling me to realign my honor?

Honor should be more than one of the many Great Bible Words that we admire. It must become a habit we practice and a testimony that points others to Jesus.