To honour someone means to treat them or regard them with special attention and respect. Honour in the Bible emphasises giving honour to others, especially God, rather than seeking our own honour. It is when we seek our own honour that we move away from the path of God.
Sometimes we get confused because our words seem to be the opposite of honour: When we say ‘The king honoured us by visiting our town today’ we mean that the king is the one showing honour to us not us showing honour to the king, though we might do so when he comes to visit. Thus though we honour God, it is he who honours us by his relationship with us. In other words he regards us as special and respects us.
When we seek to protect our personal or our family honour we are doing the opposite of what God intends. We are elevating ourselves based upon our own idea of ourself rather than God’s. Saint Paul says ‘Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honoured, but we are ridiculed.‘ (1 Corinthians 4:10)
When we talk about ‘doing the honourable thing’ and we mean that we should mean ‘doing the right thing before God’ our honour comes from following the path God shows us, rather than our own path.
Indeed, this is why God honours Jesus ‘Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.‘ (Philippians 2: 5-11)
Christ says that God, as the father of all humanity, will honour those who serve and follow Christ: ‘Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honour anyone who serves me.’ (John 12:26)
This is because we open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit as we follow Christ.‘Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honour God with your body.’ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)