Most of my life, the Lord has dealt with me about the subject of honor. As a schoolboy, I liked books about societies which valued honor. Stories about warriors or leaders who had honor touched something on the inside of me. I didn’t realize it then, but that something was of God.

Much is said in Scripture about the principles and qualities of honor—about honoring God, honoring parents, honoring leaders, honoring one another. The Bible teaches that we should esteem people properly, giving them their rightful place in our minds, in our words and in our actions. We should respect people highly and treat them as valuable and important.

Now that doesn’t mean we ought to go to extremes about social niceties or get hung up on rules of etiquette. It’s not a matter of being pompous. It’s a matter of respecting God. And the degree to which you respect and honor people is a reflection of the degree to which you respect and honor God.

You see, the Lord is a delegator in His kingdom. The way you treat those He has sent and placed in authority is the way you treat Him. He takes it personally.

The Israelites had a tough time understanding that. Although God appointed Moses and Aaron to be leaders of the people, the people murmured and complained against them (Exodus 16:7-9). But God said, "I have heard your murmurings which you have murmured against Me." Against Me. God took it personally.

The people might have said, “Now wait a minute, Lord, we didn’t say anything against You.” But the Lord took it personally. He said, The way you’re treating My ministers is the way you’re treating Me. If you aren’t honoring them, you aren’t honoring Me. What you’ve said against them, you’ve said against Me.

Didn’t Jesus say, “...Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40)? When He met Saul on the road to Damascus, Jesus didn’t ask Saul, why are you persecuting My Church!” No! He said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” (Acts 9:4). Jesus took it personally.

Just as love for God is demonstrated in love for people (1 John 5:1-2), honor for God is revealed in honor for people. So, honor and respect God’s representatives, and don’t murmur against them.

Remember—God takes it personally!

First published in the June 1996 issue of Believer's Voice of Victory Magazine
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aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries
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