What does it mean to honor God?

Answer

Revelation 4:10–11 depicts a heavenly scene where “The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and . . . lay their crowns before the throne and say: ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power.’” The terms “glory” and “honor” in this context are closely related and often used interchangeably in the Bible. However, there is a subtle distinction between them. The term commonly translated as “glory” refers to “something that possesses inherent, intrinsic worth,” while the term translated as “honor” denotes “perceived value; to render or esteem as glorious.”

Glory is an inherent quality of the one being glorified. It can be likened to a mirror that faithfully reflects what is present. By accurately reflecting the character of God, we bring glory to Him. To glorify God is to honor Him for who He truly is. God possesses glory because of His infinite value. Likewise, human beings have glory because we are made in the image of the One who is supremely glorious «So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. », (Genesis 1:27). We glorify God when we exhibit His glorious character or deeds through our words or actions. Reflecting the character of Jesus is a means of glorifying God as we showcase His attributes. Through glorifying God, we bring honor to Him.

Honor emanates from our hearts and signifies the value we personally attribute to something or someone. Collectors may hold certain items in higher regard than non-collectors. What may be overlooked by some holds significant value for others and is thus honored. The degree to which we honor individuals is based on our perception of their status and contributions. We are instructed to honor people due to their position, not necessarily their performance. It is a command to honor our fathers and mothers (Deuteronomy 5:16; Mark 7:10), the elderly “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.”, (Leviticus 19:32), and those who rule over us “Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.”, (1 Peter 2:17). When we honor God, we are demonstrating the high regard we have for Him. We are reflecting His glory back as praise and worship.

The Bible shows many ways to honor and glorify God. We show Him high regard and reflect His character by being sexually pure (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), by giving of our income “Honour the LORD with thy substance, And with the firstfruits of all thine increase:”, (Proverbs 3:9), and by living lives devoted to Him “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”, (Romans 14:8). It is not enough to merely honor Him outwardly. God desires honor that comes from our hearts. “The Lord says, ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me’” “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”, (Isaiah 29:13). When we delight in the Lord “Delight thyself also in the LORD; And he shallI will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4), seek Him in everything we do (1 Chronicles 16:11; Isaiah 55:6), and make choices that reflect the place He has in our hearts, we bring Him the greatest honor.