“Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12).
One time when I was shopping in a convenience store, a preacher came in to purchase some shotgun shells. He began trying to talk the clerk into giving him a discount on his shells because he was a minister. It embarrassed me so. It made me so mad that he would do that to our God.
It almost made me ashamed for the clerk to know I was a preacher. The clerk didn’t have any authority to give the minister a discount even if he had wanted. The young man got really irritated. I wonder if that preacher has any idea how much damage his preoccupation with a petty discount might have caused in that clerk’s life.
I get so embarrassed at what people try to do as believers walking in dishonor. We are never to use our positions as preachers of the Gospel or as children of God to defraud anyone.
It’s situations like these, and others on a much larger scale, that often cause the world to look at the body of Christ with a raised eyebrow. They’ve not seen enough honor. They’ve seen too much dishonor. But you can help change that. You can guard your manner of life, your conversation. You can be honorable.
My parents were honorable people. I grew up seeing example after example of what it was to live honorably. That taught me valuable lessons…like the fact that real honor isn’t hard to recognize. It may be hard to find, but not to recognize. Honor stands out in a crowd because it appears foolish in the system of the world.
You see, to be honorable requires an act of the will, an act which triggers and releases all that God has provided for us. It requires a choice between God’s Word and the subtleties and deceptions of the world. It requires a choice between the spirit and the flesh. It comes down to a choice between standing and falling.
If you are honorable, you will stand. If you are dishonorable, you are guaranteed to fall—and bring even more dishonor to the body of Christ. If you don’t know how to live honorably, start learning.
You can begin with God and His Word. As you get into His Word and allow it to get on the inside of you, honor will well up in you so full, you’ll have no desire to walk in anything else. Your spirit will experience conviction about the smallest of commitments.
You’ll become so tuned to His Spirit that you will become honorable in everything. You’ll be honest about the smallest details. You won’t exaggerate or hedge on the truth. Your word and your commitments will become as good as His. Believe me, He’s guaranteed it. He’s given you His Word.
Speak the Word: I bring glory to God by conducting myself properly, honorably and righteously among the Gentiles. (1 Peter 2:12 AMP)
For Further Study: 1 Peter 2:1-12
Daily Scripture Reading: Isaiah 49-51; Psalms 52-53
Excerpt permission granted by
Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries
For the last 50 years Kenneth and Gloria Copeland have been passionately teaching Christians all over the world how to apply the principles of faith found in God's WORD to their lives.
They have seven ministry offices around the world: United States, Canada, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Ukraine and Latin America. Their God-given directive is to preach and teach the uncompromised WORD of God on every available voice, which is being accomplished through a variety of channels, including our Believer's Voice of Victory TV and radio broadcasts, podcast and magazine; Believers' Conventions, Victory Campaigns and Living Victory meetings; published books, website, and social media channels, to name a few.
With the expansion of technology, they have more work to do now than ever. They are determined to let the world know Jesus is LORD, and they are not slowing down anytime soon!