Honor from God

Joh 5:44  How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

We do this, don't we? We seek honor from each other. We seek recognition from each other. We want admiration, we want approval, we want compliments, we even feel we deserve these things. We do something good, a job well done and we want the reward for that job even if the reward is a thank you. We tend to get upset if our efforts aren't appreciated. We want people to HONOR us and our efforts, and we call this human nature. And if by human nature we mean human sinful flesh nature we'd be right. On the other hand if we mean acceptable because it's our nature, we'd be wrong. We can't ACCEPT our sinful nature, excusing it as if the sins we are prone to are of no consequence. When we desire honor from others we are giving them a hold over us.  When we don't get that desired honor we allow it to affect us.  We may feel sadness, rejection, anger even.  When we seek honor from each other in whatever form that honor takes, we are giving them God's place. We need to seek honor from God and God alone.

We need to recognize where we are seeking honor from.  Please Father, help us!

Joh 12:42  Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

Joh 12:43  For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Do we LOVE the praise of men MORE than the praise of God?!

Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Do we do this in a GOOD way, not a poor me everyone is better than I am, way? Do we truly have a lowliness of mind? Do we truly not embrace strife and seek vain glory from others?! 

Truly all is vanity and only our Savior can save us from ourselves!

1Sa 2:30  Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Honoring God, do we? We need to!

Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life

Is our honor in eternal life through our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord? Do we find our honor IN HIM because He has all the honor?

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ

The TRIAL of our faith, the very thing we agonize over time and time again. We'd rather be in peace and safety, comfort and ease than in any trial. We hide from trials don't we? Our weaknesses are exposed and our failures apparent, yet we need this, we need to comprehend our need of a SAVIOR that we CANNOT save ourselves. Every trial and tribulation of our faith is truly MORE precious than gold.

2Co 10:18  For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

The LORD must commend us, not any other, and not OURSELVES!

1Co 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

We need PRAISE of God and God alone!

Please FATHER help us! Teach us to seek YOUR honor and YOUR honor alone!

All by Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, NOW and FOREVER!

Please!

Thank you, most glorious Lord Jesus Christ!