- George Washington Carver
There is an old Japanese custom that when someone saves your life, you belong to them. You must serve them for the remainder of your days. I do not know if a society can dictate such an order, but in theory it seems to present some interesting issues. What if someone saved your life, then treated your service as slavery and abused you? Custom would require that you stay, because they had been your savior.
The truth is, someone can save you and you can still choose not to honor him. But you cannot make someone the lord of your life without giving them all honor. If you have made Jesus your Lord, you have given Him your whole heart. You are now honoring Him with your heart and your mouth. (See Romans 15:6) And you are honoring Him with your body. (See 1 Corinthians 6:20) You are giving Him ALL OF YOU. That is the ultimate honor you can bestow upon anybody.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).
Remember how Jesus began the Lord's Prayer? He began by honoring the very name of His Father God. If you have not been honoring God lately, begin this week. As soon as your alarm goes off in the morning, quietly begin to thank Him for the blessings in your life. Then throughout the day find three things in which to honor Him. If you are a servant of the Most High God, Master of the Universe, don't you think you should honor Him?
"Give everyone what you owe him...if honor then honor" (Rom. 13:7 NIV).
Excerpt permission granted by Albury Publishing
Born Carman Licciardello, he began recording under his first name and released his debut album in 1980. Carman began charting contemporary Christian hits in 1984 with "Sunday's on the Way," reaching No. 1 with "The Champion" (1986) and "Radically Saved" (1988). His other hit songs include "Lord of All," "Jesus Is the Light," and "Satan, Bite the Dust!" Carman reportedly holds the world record for the largest audience at a Christian concert. His popularity was at its height in the 1980s and early '90s, but he continued releasing albums for years, including his most recent release, 2014's "No Plan B." In 2018, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
