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I’ve been memorizing a few chapters in the book of Romans, and one of the verses that has greatly impacted me is Romans 12:10 which says,
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
I’ve found that as I review the verse again and again, much of my dialogue with the kids began to center around honor. I now find myself encouraging the kids to outdo one another in showing honor, and I’m quick to ask if their words or tone of voice or actions are demonstrating honor.
What is Honor?
Honor basically means to give great value or to highly respect or esteem. Through His Word, God tells us that we are to honor parents, the aged, and those in authority (Ephesians 6:2; Leviticus 19:32; Romans 13:1). We are to show honor at work and in our marriages, and Peter tells us to honor all people (1 Peter 2:17)! We are even reminded in 1 Timothy 5:17 that the elders and leaders and teachers in our churches deserve double honor.
Watching the news or listening to kids at the park or observing adults at the ball field, one might think the idea of honor is long gone from our society. I don’t want that to be true of my family. Honoring others often includes submitting, laying down our own agenda and plans, and serving others. Jesus Himself is an example of one who honored others!
The National Center for Biblical Parenting explains that in our homes:
“Honor means treating people as special, doing more than what’s expected, and having a good attitude. Obedience gets the job done and that’s what most parents focus on in order to keep kids moving and accomplish their goals. Honor is different. It’s like the oil in a machine. It addresses how you relate. Every family needs honor.”
Teaching Kids to Honor Others
Though I have frequently used the phrase Outdo one another in showing honor, this fall I plan to focus more on what honoring others really means. We will talk together about what honor is and what God has to say about it in His Word.
Because the idea can be abstract for my little concrete thinkers, we will need to brainstorm what honoring others looks like — how do we put honor into practice? {Because I’ve used the phrase: honor others and Outdo one another in showing honor so frequently, I’m hoping the kids have a good start on this list!}
Since my kids, though young, can be highly competitive, I’m hoping to use that competition in a healthy way to motivate them to show honor to others.
With our list of honor ideas posted, we’ll compete all throughout the week — in a healthy way of course!
Can we outdo one another in showing honor?
Can we make each other feel loved and celebrated and appreciated?
I’ve heard great things about “The Kid’s Honor Club” from the National Center for Biblical Parenting, so we may also work through those activities together as a family.
Thinking of ourselves comes naturally and is easy. Thinking of others takes a lot more practice — and effort. Teaching our kids to honor others is a crucial component of Biblical parenting and is a lifelong gift we can give our children!
Question for You: How do you teach your children to show honor to others?
If you are looking for more help in teaching your kids to honor others, the National Center for Biblical Parenting also has a complete Honor Church Kit for churches to use and an online course for parents called “Honor: the Key to Successful Relationships” as part of their Biblical Parenting University series. I haven’t yet taken the class but plan to in the coming months.
Click here to view all of the posts in this series.
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