I was teaching some young ministers and leaders years ago where I taught them how to honour invited ministers. I taught them that honorarium without honour is not different from a bribe. Honour is a seed. Honour is a Kingdom culture that anyone who would go far must imbibe.
Friend, live a life of honour. Honour God. Honour who and what He honours. It releases the graces of the kingdom upon your life. Honour is proof of love, submission, and loyalty. You cannot claim you love the one you do not honour. You cannot claim you are loyal to the one you dishonour, neither can you claim you are in submission to the one you despise. If you truly honour God, you won’t behave anyhow around Him (1 Samuel 2:30, Malachi 1:6).
There is a difference between honour and respect. You can respect someone without honouring him, but you cannot honour someone you don’t respect. Respect is a posture. Honour is a disposition. You can act in respect, but your heart does not honour. Honour is not hero worship. It is kingdom sense (Romans 13:7, 1 Timothy 5:17).
Honour goes with giving. Something leaves you to the one you honour. The gift of your time, treasure, etc. This is why we are admonished to honour the Lord with our substance (Proverbs 3:9). God rebuked the Israelites, not for their lack of giving, but what and how they gave (Malachi 1:6-8).
Honour is not just in the size of the gift but in the size of the heart that gives. It is the priority the giver puts on the recipient of the gift (Malachi 1:8, Matthew 6:33). This is why you can give honorarium to a minister of the gospel without truly honouring him. You can give tithes to God without really tithing. Tithe is what you give. Tithing is the process with which you give it. Do you give to “help” God or to honour Him (Psalms 50:10-12, Proverbs 3:9)?
The grace you honour is the grace you partake of. When honour is lacking, grace ceases to flow. If you don’t honour your parents, you are missing something (Ephesians 6:2-3). If you don’t honour your pastor, you would not partake of the Grace He carries (Matthew 13:54-58). He may speak words over you, but it would be empty words because the anointing on him is not blessing you. You will not struggle! Amen!
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria