"Honour everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respectful fear of God. Honour the emperor." CEB
Let's focus on the "honour everyone" using the TPT translation but let's start with the lead up:
"As God's loving servants, you should live in complete freedom, but never use your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Recognize the value of every person."
Some Christians struggle with the idea of honouring people not deserving honour so the TPT translation may help some people uncomplicate the issue : treat every person as valuable to Father.
We have been called to a place that is above differences, above grievances, above insult or injury. What do you think Jesus was talking about when he said to love your enemy? He has called us up to a place where we have been given the capacity to love with the same love that we have been loved with and he has called this an obligation. His love has indebted us to love other people in the same manner he loved us. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that uncomplicated?
When we honour someone we are saying that we recognize they have value. No one said that you have to agree with that value because the value is not assigned by you. You are simply told to recognize the value Father has placed on that person. What you recognize as valuable you will treat well, or you should. That's the whole point. We complicate it when we think we can show value without treating people well.
I show value by giving people my time, by choosing words that do not insult but instead lift up. I show value by taking actions of love and kindness which have nothing to do with what the person deserves because I received Father's best when I did not deserve it. I demonstrate value with my words, tone, actions, attitude and investment.
I complicate this matter of honour when I try to base that honour on my own ideas and ideals. Honour is based on my Father's will and I act on it "as God's loving servant". I keep it simple when I keep everything based on my relationship with Father and not according to my ideas and values. He is my source. My desire is to live a life rooted and growing in Kingdom values.
Now imagine how this would change our approach. Instead of approaching people in an adversarial manner we would see the value of us being in their lives, perhaps even as their friends. Instead of seeing people as projects we would simply want to position ourselves so that Father could pour out his love and grace into their lives through our friendship with them. We could discuss the methodology of such a relationship but the challenge is to see that you are their for their benefit and not your own.
We complicate it when we keep thinking we are the most valuable person in the room. This causes us to be offended when people do something against us. Scripture tells us to act as if everyone else is more important than ourselves, not because we have no value, but because we should already understand our value to Father. There should be no insecurity. Where there is insecurity you will find people lifting themselves up above everyone else. Complicated. We are in that person's life, be them friend or be them foe, to demonstrate that they have value with Father.
The conclusion of the matter is that Father has not made this complicated. When we live according to his values, according to what he says is important, according to who he says to love, being taught and led by Spirit, it's simple. When we decide to be our own teacher and to live according to what we think are the values of Father, promoting ourselves above everyone else, taking offense, defending ourselves, pushing our agenda, honouring those we think deserve it, we very much complicate what Father designed to be simple.
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