Why Honor Matters, By Ayo Akerele

The church is the rallying point of all values... If the church does it right by producing men and women of honor and integrity, the rest of society will be greatly impacted . And Satan will have a hard time polluting our children for they and all of us will become the true light of the world we were programmed to be.

One of the values ​​I cherish so much is the virtue of honor - honoring the poor and the rich equally, especially those who have contributed to my personal and spiritual development. As I've said many times, I'm not the norm. Christ is our standard. So the focus of this treatise is not on me or on a man who is at his best, a passing shadow. But, of course, we can learn from men as the author of Hebrews says, "follow those who by faith and patience have inherited the promise." (Hebrews 6:12).

I hate dishonor with a passion, especially when people we don't expect to benefit from are treated with disdain and disrepute.

The true test of your character is your relationship with the weak and vulnerable people in your space. If they don't mean anything to you, you've lost it and you can't please God. The truth is that a believer in Christ should and must be shaped by Christ-like values, not by culture. Essentially, much of the crisis of dishonor plaguing our climate has its root in the clash between culture and scripture. Rather than believers in Christ focusing on Christ as the standard and model for character development, the dominant source of value system development is "our doctrine", "what my father said", "my background and culture family”, among others. You should only listen to your pastor or church leader as long as he listens to Christ and models his words.

The world has begun to see a new generation of rebellious children. Young people who have no allegiance to the virtues of honor, and who, at the slightest provocation, are ready to drag anyone on social networks, as they say. If the world is known for this, should young Christians also be part of this rot? I encouraged and prayed for a revival to break out in the church for one purpose.

This explains why Paul once said to the Corinthians, "Follow me as I am the Christ." (W Corinthians 11:1). In other words, I'm just an example to you if I live like Christ. Jesus preached honor. Jesus modeled honor, but not the honor of evil or wicked people. We do not honor false prophets or heretics in the sense of promoting their brands, celebrating their accomplishments, and endorsing their actions. But we must honor their people and their humanity, praying that they will experience repentance and a change of heart. But a true child of God does not treat people with favoritism or on the basis of status, money, class, and culture. You don't choose mentors based on the above. You don't choose spiritual fathers based on the above. Your heart must be honest enough to stay with the people God has sent to you and honor them as long as you live or as long as God allows them to be in your life.

Part of the evil vices destroying African society is the blatant disregard for equality and mutual respect in our culture. We are good at many things, but when it comes to honoring and respecting people, we do so based on age, status, career level, financial strength, and more. . If he is 15, we talk to him rudely and dishonourably. If he is 50 years old, we speak to him with respect. If he is poor, we insult and curse him. If he is rich, we approve of his actions, whether good or bad. It is an evil culture that is at odds with the standards and values ​​of the kingdom that Christ represents.

The world has begun to see a new generation of rebellious children. Young people who have no allegiance to life...