When we find ourselves in dishonor, we can be assured that the next step is losing that very thing that we dishonored unless we re-evaluate ourselves and get ourselves in order. We see people losing things through dishonor all the time.
Marriages dissolve because either one party or both parties decide to dishonor their covenant. The dishonor and devaluing of women by men that bring the worth of the woman down to only physical, makes it hard to acquire healthy relationships outside of just the physical alone. The dishonoring of men as the head of the household in a marriage causes a lack of stability and often results in loss of some kind. The dishonoring of paying a car note leads to losing the car and so on.
There is a story found in Matthew 25:14-19 that tells the story of three men who were given talents. The first two men who were given talents honored the fact that they had received the talents and faithfully used them to the point of gaining other talents. However, one of the gentlemen hid his talent dishonoring his Lord who had given it to him and he hid it as he forgot about it altogether. When the time to reckon came, those who we’re faithful in honoring the talents they had, received additional talents. While the one who dishonored his Lord had his one talent taken away and he was judged for dishonoring his Lord.
When someone dishonors something they used something for a purpose other than what it was intended to be used for and they bring that person or thing that they are using down to a value that it was not intended.
For example, someone who misuses God’s grace. When we dishonor God through practicing sin we separate ourselves from God (Isaiah 59:2ii). It causes us to lose a level of fellowship with him. It’s like if somebody who curses you out calling you all types of the B-word and such. Naturally, you are not going to be best friends with that person who talks to you in such a demeaning way until some type of reconciliation takes place. If there is no place for reconciliation then a severing will take place.
As a woman of God, I should honor myself as such. When a man pursues me and isn’t honoring me and has no intentions to do so, then he has to be cut short. I met a young man who I recently started to get to know. I saw several red-flags of dishonor in him. Although he was full of God’s word, he did not honor God nor his laws. He repeated how God’s laws are written on our hearts, but his heart ignored that fact as he said that God turned a blind eye toward sin and no longer judged it.
He did not fear, respect, nor honor God, and therefore I knew that he would not honor me. Not only did he not honor God, but he did not honor himself. He said he’d jump to the opportunity of a woman who would be willing to have sex with him despite the lack of the marriage commitment.
So now, we have the dishonoring of God, God’s grace, and commandments, his own body, which is to be used to worship Christ pointing people to God instead of to fornicate, and women in general as opportunities to get some.
God’s word teaches that people who willfully walk in dishonor to his laws will not inherit the things that should come naturally to those in the kingdom of God.
“Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)”
God goes on to say elsewhere in his word that those who are lukewarm instead of either hot or cold he will spew out of his mouth, and finally his word says a double-minded man (someone who is trying to worship God and their flesh), will not receive anything from God.
If God does not tolerate a certain level of dishonor, why should we as his kids tolerate it. Therefore, my only resolve was to cut the ties with the gentlemen. After three days of talking, I was invited to take a trip to Vegas or California with the gentlemen, which I refused, and after 5 days I was invited twice to meet up and cuddle with the gentlemen, whom I was only trying to get to know we weren’t in a relationship stage yet at all, and the way that things were going we were not going to be.
I genteelly let the brother know that we cannot talk anymore. That I did not want to compromise my position of who God called me to be. He told me that my standard was too high as I thought to myself, his standard was too low for a man of God. If he had of been in the world however, he would have hit the mark just fine.
The whole point is as men and women of God we need to honor ourselves as men and women of God. When we honor ourselves, we will not allow someone else to come and dishonor who God has called us to be. I honor the fact that I am consecrated to the Lord and that all of my decisions revolve around him because he has set me apart to give him glory.
I honor the Lord. I don’t feel like the gentlemen that God has for me will cause me to compromise, but he will honor his position as a man and protect me instead of putting me in harms way. In addition, he will honor his position as a man of God and lead us closer to God instead of further away from God.
It was right for the gentlemen that I spoke with to lose a chance with me because he did not honor me. As a woman, God would not have me to dishonor myself allowing anyone access to my cookie-jar. I am precious to God, and he has reserved a man of honor for me. Therefore, the cookie-jar remains locked on clank clank mode until that man of honor is revealed.
The best part about honor is it’s a two-way street. When you honor others you receive honor yourself, and when you honor God he will honor you. God’s word says in Psalms 18:25 to the faithful, God will show himself faithful (NIV). In other words, when you choose honor you put yourself in a win win situation.
Sometimes, the devil will try to make it seem as if those who have been taking a stand for God honoring him in their decisions have been doing so in vain, but that is a lie. God will show himself faithful to those who show themselves faithful to him. Honor is a key in life that will take you places that you otherwise would not have been able to go.
In sum, what we honor we retain and grow in those areas, but what we dishonor we lose. If we do not want to lose ourselves we need to honor ourselves, if we do not want to lose close fellowship with God we need to honor our fellowship with God by being obedient to him and we will inherit his promises, if we do not want to lose a chance with a man or woman of interest we ought to honor that man or woman of interest.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. Matthew 25:14-29 (KJV)
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2
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