We know we should honor God. What does it mean to honor Him?

Quick answer

To honor someone means to respect and esteem them. To honor God means to worship Him in all our attitudes, affections, and actions.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

In the New Testament, Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment, and He answers that it is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. That should be the foundation of everything we do. God deserves the highest honor because of who He is and what He has done. He is our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. Our very life and breath come from God. All that we have, we have received from Him. All things have been made by Him and for Him. We honor God if we live, not for our own glory, but for His. Honoring God cannot be limited to performing rituals or ceremonies. Jesus commands us to honor God with both our lips and our hearts. Hypocrites honor God with the words of their mouths but their hearts are far removed from Him. Scripture informs us that all of mankind has failed to honor God as we should. When we’re disobedient, we dishonor God. The Father tells us that we cannot honor Him unless we honor His Son, Jesus Christ. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that God removes the shame and dishonor which our sins deserve and credits us with the honor and holiness of Christ's righteous life.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Honor is given to God in light of His immense power and might (Exodus 15:6).
God is worthy of all honor because of His position as King over all the earth (Psalm 47:7).
God’s character and what He has done and continues to do for us make Him worthy of honor and praise (Psalm 136).
God is holy and blameless above all others, making Him the only One who should receive our highest honor (Isaiah 6:3).
When we sin, we do so against God Himself, violating His law, and assaulting His honor (Psalm 51:4).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

Saying the “right” words without meaning them is not truly honoring God; instead, it shows hearts that are far from Him (Matthew 15:8-9).
Jesus defines honor for God as loving Him with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37-38).
Our sinful disobedience dishonors God. Unless we accept Christ and commit to follow and honor Him, we will be separated from God for life and eternity (Matthew 25:41).
For us to present ourselves as living sacrifices to the honor of God is no more than duty dictates (Luke 17:10).
By honoring Jesus, we show honor to God (John 5:22-23).
The Holy Spirit living within us, upon our acceptance of Christ’s salvation, helps us to forsake sin and lead lives that honor God (John 14:16, 1 Corinthians 12:11, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 5:22-23).
God is our source of life; we do nothing without Him, so He is worthy of our honor and praise (Acts 17:28).
We echo the praises of Heaven when we give all glory and honor to God (Revelation 5:12).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

We honor people for many reasons, including their position, power, accomplishments, integrity, and those also affect the degree of honor. For instance, the recognition we give to a child who makes the honor roll is quite different from what we show toward a commander who wins a war. The actions we take toward those who we honor include praise, submission, and obedience.

Honoring the King of Kings and Lord of Lords means giving Him the regard, respect, reverence, admiration, adoration, awe, praise, submission, and obedience which are due to Him. God should receive our highest and most dedicated honor as He is supreme, giving us life and salvation. Nothing else should receive honor above or before God. As we honor God throughout our lives, we can know that we will, someday, be able to honor Him face to face, praising and glorifying Him in Heaven.

UNDERSTAND

We honor God because He is above all and Creator of all, including our lives.
When we follow the greatest commandment to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, we can’t help but honor Him.
After accepting Christ, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, which enables us to lead lives that honor God.

REFLECT

In what ways do you honor God in your everyday life?
How do your actions in honoring other people in your life differ from how you honor God?
In your view, how does your love for God impact how you honor Him?

ENGAGE

How can we honor God in our interactions with others?
How can we explain to others what it means to honor the Lord?
When engaging with unbelievers, how shou handle situations in which they dishonor God with their words or actions?