Baptist City Blog

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

Throughout time, there has always been two extremes taken regarding honoring people. There is one extreme that doesn't want to honor any person because they believe all honor goes to God. They are right to the degree that God deserves the credit for everything, but to never honor people goes against scriptural principles.

The other extreme I have seen exercised is to build up a man to the degree that people look to the man and not his God. This mentality almost deifies man when man at his best condition is a sinner. This extreme gives out honorary degrees like candy. This extreme is dangerous because this extreme takes the focus off Christ and gives it to man.

However, God says in the verses above that we are to “esteem” those who labor over us. The word “esteem” means, to respect, honor, appreciate or to give recognition. In other words, those who labor over us are to be honored, but the honor God is talking about is not how we normally honor people. God says to honor people “for their work’s sake.” There are several principles these verses teach that if followed will keep our honor from becoming idolatry.

First, we are to know people well before we honor them. Notice that God says, “…know them which labour among you…” Knowing someone is not a surface knowledge of someone, but it is more of an intimate knowledge of them. God wants you to take the time to get to know those who labor over you better. In other words, be careful about honoring someone because someone else says they are worthy of honoring. Certainly, there are times when you need to go off the word of others, and these verses show when that is to be the case, but be careful about esteeming someone just because someone else says they are worthy of your estimation.

Second, we are not to honor people simply because they hold a position worthy of honor. Just because someone inherited a position from someone whom God used greatly doesn't mean they are worthy of the same honor. Yes, the position or office one holds may be worthy of our respect, but esteeming someone just because they hold that position or office is not how God wants us to esteem people.

Third, honor should be given because of the work one has accomplished. This is the key that keeps everything in its proper perspective. God says to esteem people in love “…for their work's sake.” Notice that God wants the works to be esteemed. Why esteem the works? Because those works would not have been done without God’s help. This is how we keep from idolizing people. There is nothing wrong with giving people honor, but honor them for the work God did through them and not for them as an individual.

This principle should be followed in every area of life. Parents, instead of praising your children for how they look, praise them for what they have done because they can do that over again. Esteeming the works motivates people to continue those works and it will help us to keep people in their proper perspective.