PROPER HONORS

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

It’s not good to eat too much honey, and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself.

Proverbs 25:27 (NLT)     

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If you look at the many facets of human nature, one that I think surfaces in everyone is the propensity to overdo things.

It happens, right?

Let’s just make a confession right here and now. We have a general problem with moderation when it comes to so many things. Let’s call it a tendency toward personal gluttony.

Don’t believe it?

Then how many times has someone lamented after a Thanksgiving meal that they had eaten way too much.

Or maybe woke up on the first day of the new year realizing that they maybe had a little too much to drink while celebrating its coming.

Or rued over the credit card statements that came in after Christmas which revealed how much was overspent on purchasing gifts.

Are you starting to agree that we seem to trend toward excess in the decisions we make?

You need to know that this isn’t just a present day issue. For as we look at verse 26 of the 25th Chapter of Proverbs, we find Solomon writing words of caution about the matter of overdoing things. Look again at his words:

It’s not good to eat too much honey, and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself. Proverbs 25:27 (NLT)

Solomon touches on the importance of temperance on two levels here. Let me touch on each.

First, he talks about the matter of eating. When consumed properly, honey has positive nutritional and health value. Eaten in proper portion, it’s good for you. But when you eat too much of it, you cancel out the benefits and instead suffer the consequences, like becoming ill after eating too much honey. Just ask Winnie the Pooh about it if you question that.

The other matter Solomon touches on has nothing to do with food and physical gluttony. Instead, the focus shifts to the heart and one’s inner spirit.

What was Solomon’s caution?

“It’s not good to seek honors for yourself.”

The world would say to Solomon, “What do you mean? People should go after all the success they can.”

But remember this from yesterday’s devotion and verse 26 of this same chapter: If you are a Christian, you can’t be in the world and of the world. You must be of Christ while you are in the world.

Why does this need to be our center of reference?

Because it places the object on Christ and not on us.

You see as Christians, all that we do in life is not to be done to honor ourselves but rather to honor the Lord, something we can’t possibly do if we are consistently and persistently seeking our own honors. If we are gluttonous toward seeking recognition and the admiration of others, then we are stealing attention away from the One who gifted us in such a way that we could find success.

And so here is the final word from the Lord on this matter:

Give credit where credit is due.

We do this when we shun conceit and vanity and self adulation for a life that only seeks to bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, the only One who is worthy of all honor and glory and praise, forever and ever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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