Honorable Perspective

True honor, like love, is a choice of perspective.  You can say all of the right words in front of someone and then completely negate that same person behind their back and still have shown ‘fruits of honor’ without ever having presented any genuineness to that person at all.  But when our focus and intent is to highlight and appreciate someone for the belief that we have for their life, true honor and all of its fruits are naturally displayed.  It is the most selfless act we can engage ourselves in, because honor places other’s agendas, dreams, ideals and words as higher than our own and seeks to give of oneself to see the fruition of another’s dreams.  It is an utter submission. 

Common images that come to mind for honor may be acknowledgements and highlights from a stage, but it begins long before any such public accolades are considered.  Honor is simply believing in someone, whether they currently see themselves worthwhile or not.  It is looking past the personas, walls and hurts that so many eyes have stumbled over and realizing the immeasurable potential that that person carries, and then treating them as such. 

It does not take anyone special to read off life accomplishments from a person that has fulfilled their dreams, but true humility and selflessness is displayed when you believe in someone long before the world sees any reason to give them the time of day.  But when you highlight the goodness within someone, I inspire you to watch as everything about that person matures, is cultivated and eventually blossoms.  They live out their full potential because you saw and believed in it, even before they did.     

Take on every day with an appreciation for the lives that surround you.  Smile, laugh, and listen just to listen.  Show that you believe in someone; you will be surprised by how strongly honor will repay itself to those that are willing to give it. 

            

The Power of Words: Something to Talk About

Words are not only words, as so many of us often suppose.  They have the power to define who someone is, because they set a verbal or written standard by which people position or see themselves.  Example: Why do parents tell their children not to call another person ugly? Because when someone hears this word, the most common response of the hearer is to believe and associate one’s self to the identity of “ugly” to some extent or another.  The same can be true by way of assumption.  Have you ever heard phrases like, “Just be yourself,” or seen lists in blogs and magazines about “How to be beautiful/sexy/successful.”? Suddenly, your mind wonders “Why wouldn’t I be myself?” or you associate yourself as none of what the article is promoting because the context and wording immediately positions the reader as being none of those things.  Thus, as people hear, read and associate, so they live out!

This is not a new problem in the world; in fact, the opening book of the Bible shows the world’s first identity crisis only a few chapters in.  Eve’s actions clearly show that one’s understanding of their position with God is crucial to everything else that that person does, says and ultimately lives out in every way.  In seeing this, ‘belief’ or the act of ‘believing in God’ is no longer man’s one work towards his salvation, but rather, a fully convinced mind/heart that trusts that he is who God says that he is.

In multiple places throughout scripture, references to mankind being created in the likeness and image of God gives us an unmistakable position of which to associate Eve.  She was created in God’s image, BUT what does the serpent tempt her with? “The moment you eat from that tree… You’ll be just like God…” (Genesis 3:4,5 MSG).  Just as in the example of disassociation that a magazine entices its’ readers by, Satan used his words to indirectly say, “Eve, you are not like God,” And we all know where the story went from there.      

We are similar to Eve in that our identity is linked to the image and likeness that we have been created in.  The same lie that caused Eve to perform actions that were not within her nature is still tickling the ears of people today and convincing them of their separation from God.  I believe that from this mindset every religion in the world has been created: man tries to bridge the gap between themselves and a distant god; never realizing that the very God they are searching for has already bridged that same gap.    

Realize that God did not come to save a world of worthless people.  An important question to ask one’s self is this, “Who do I believe myself to be?” But an even greater question, and one that you will spend the rest of your life delving deeper and deeper into is, “Who does God say that I am?” You will be amazed by the answers that you find, and God’s response to this second question will completely rewrite the answer you come up with for the first as well.  Do not get caught up in naming yourself by the flimsy titles and associations that the world provides, but allow your identity to be defined by Truth itself.  In other words, believe what God believes to be true about you.        

Her Eyes

Photo by: Joey Jennings

“Will you dance with me?” Eight year old, Evelyn took my outstretch hands and bashfully danced and laughed to my uncoordinated leading of swings, twirls and skips – transforming the plain concrete surface of the empty feeding center into a picture-perfect dance floor.     

The joy in Evelyn’s eyes captivated me from the time of our arrival.  Joey, James and I had traveled with our friend Mundo on a food delivery trip for the rural village of Naranjo, in Guatemala.  This feeding center’s director had received a letter a week earlier from a religious group within the city that threatened to take her life if she continued to serve the children – this strong lady is Evelyn’s widowed mother.  The three of us were able to pray over this threatened leader, but there was a familiar beauty to her daughter’s smile that stole my attention for much of our time.

Selfless love is not only displayed, but also easily read in the eyes of its giver.  Its words go beyond description, but if I could sum them up, I would say that eyes of this love clearly shout, “I am here for you!” to their beholder.  I believe this degree of selflessness is unattainable without first encountering the source of love face to face.  When we see the love of God towards us, we cannot help but mirror it to those around us – it is contagiously received.  I have seen these loving eyes on a number of occasions, through the faces of friend’s I am honored to know; but on the face of a child, there was an entirely new sense of pure wonder.   

As I headed back for the truck, I could not leave without making mention of what I had seen, and so I stopped before Evelyn and explained, “You know God.  I see it in your eyes,” and her loving smile confirmed every word.