Proverbs 25:6-7. “Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: for better it is that it be said unto thee, ‘Come up hither;’ than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.”
THE SOURCE OF HONOR. To demand honor is to never get it, by its nature it has to be earned. It is not yours until it is given by those who know you have learned To be faithful in the call God gave you, quietly working until the task you finish – And your credibility is established as God’s will through you is accomplished.
From within a person then comes character traits and from them true humility. God has trusted you with gifts above and beyond your natural ability – Others recognize by reputation you are a person that can truly be trusted And some may want to honor you as one by whom they have been uplifted.
The “rule of thumb” is very clear; don’t look for the highest place – An important person will come in and to save yourself from redness of face Find an obscure location; settle in quietly without making a fuss – Let attention be given to others – consider true honor has God as its source.
If you are asked to come up from a low place to a position somewhat higher Quietly rise with dignity and carefully take time to think and consider This honor from men is temporary so don’t linger longer in full view – Be gracious when honor is given and remember God is the source – not you.
When leadership is obviously needed, look at the role as coming from God. He has placed a heart in you to care for His people, those saved by the Lord. Don’t demand from the saints, recognition and they do exactly what you say – Your honor and leadership will be effective only by what you’ve earned day by day.
“O God of grace, in Thy wisdom it pleases Thee to take at times lowly people and place them in positions of leadership. I am one of them. I am afraid of making serious blunders when it comes to receiving honor. It happens – people seem to put us in a higher place than some others and I don’t want to dishonor Thee in any way by not recognizing Thee as the source. Help me to always give Thee all the glory. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”