Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40 NKJV
In the past, when this verse has been brought to my attention, I’ve imagined in my mind’s eye, a judge, seated high above a courtroom, pounding his gavel like a crazed carpenter, as though the sound of incessant hammering will bring peace once again.
Perhaps, instead of a judge, it’s a pastor, left with nothing but a gavel of control, in a culture of selfishness. The thing is, however, the incessant hammering of control only drives a wedge deeper, separating leader from follower even more, creating even more distrust and discord.
Our church is a very open church to the move of the Holy Spirit, and as such our services have a very free flow to them. We have a basic structure, an idea of how things will look, but we leave most of it to God.
So…how do things stay in order?
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue of an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 1 Corinthians 14:26 NIV
Honour. Whatever we do is out of honour for God and our sisters and brothers.
In conversation with Brandee (my beautiful wife) last night, she said this to me, “Honour equals order.” And it’s true. Where there is honour, there is respect. Where there is honour and respect, there is love. And where all these things exist, there is order, because in a culture of honour, I am last, the people around me are first.
In a culture of honour, there is no room for self promotion or personal gain. We minister to each other to build each other up, not to build ourselves up. And whenever there is need for gentle correction, a slight change in course, there is no room for offense, because there is honour.
So far in this article I’ve written the word honour eight times…make that nine. And yet, I can’t stress enough: Honour is a major key in the fulfillment of our destiny.
That’s probably enough to contemplate for now…
Peace & Love.
Travis
Great post! This is huge!!
Thanks for expressing from our Father’s heart what could so easily have been said in a spirit of gossip or self-righteousness — and for the discernment to know the difference. May the Living God continue to fill you and Brandee with creative vision and inspiration from His throne room as you pour forth from His extravagant abundance. And may we as a body, particularly our little microcosm at WindWord, truly love, honor and value each other as Christ our Lord demonstrates to us through His self-sacrifice and by the power of His Holy Spirit working in us. Bless you Travis, and keep pressing on toward the mark, toward Your upward call in Him.
P.S. Great to see you’re a fellow NAMMer. I seldom missed a show, twenty years running…
So true. When you honor someone, you give value to their words, which then lets them change your thinking. So in a way, honor changes you more than the one you are honoring.
I know I’m late to the party … er … the blog. But I just want to say I appreciate this insightful post.
Thanks Mrs Anderson! Blessings!