Honoring God

Recently over breakfast, I had the opportunity to catch up with a friend.

Our conversation at the Cornerview Cafe lasted over an hour. But it was one of those moments when time seemed to pass by at the speed of light.

He talked about his family and how he was doing in walking out his relationship with God.

Towards the end of our time together, my friend said, "To me, the most important thing is honoring God."

Then we got up, paid our bill and walked out into the parking lot to say good-bye.

What my friend said has stuck with me. And it's got me thinking: How does anyone honor God?

The whole idea of honoring the Creator of the Universe can seem daunting. Almost impossible.

Until we stop to consider that, if God is a being, and we are made in God's image, then we can begin to answer the question in terms of deepening a friendship.

So, starting with that foundation, the following few tips are offered:

We honor God by spending time with God.

We honor any friend when we think enough of them to spend time with them.

Think of your best friend. What motivates you to see them face-to-face? Why isn't phoning, or Facebooking, or texting or emailing enough?

What is it about the face-to-face encounter?

Only then can we see into their eyes as they are speaking. Only then can we fully appreciate the tone of their voice. Only then can the unspoken become part of the conversation.


We honor God by listening.

It sounds so easy and simple.

But how often are we in the middle of a discussion without being fully present? How often is the dialogue interrupted by our own distractions?

Far too often, three minutes into a chat we're already gone. Our bodies may still be there, but our minds are elsewhere. Or we can dominate the conversation blocking out opportunities for grace to express itself.

While listening isn't always silent, it's helpful. (See Proverbs 46.10)


We honor God by our conscious appreciation.

I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to missing opportunities to express my appreciation. How frequently do we remind our close friends how much they mean to us? How often do we tell God, out loud, how much God means to us?

It's not like God needs to know this. After all God is supposedly all-knowing, right? It's mainly for our own benefit that God encourages us to show appreciation.

Worship is one way. Prayer is another. Taking 15-20 minutes at the start of your day to dwell on an aspect of God's character (called Centering Prayer) is a practical tip to accomplish this.

Here's a one minute video explaining some of the benefits, that includes a link to a centering prayer website.


We honor God by loving.

Loving God should naturally flow from spending time with God, listening to God and appreciating God.

During the Last Supper, Jesus (God's Son) encouraged his apostles to love one another.(John 13.34). In one of his epistles, the apostle John continued, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God...for God is love." (1 John 4.7)


We honor God by becoming like God.

It's not much of a leap of faith, or logic, to reach this conclusion.

After all, don't we tend to be influenced by the company we keep? The imprints of friendships are found throughout our lives.

How much more so should it be with God. Spending time with, listening to, appreciating and loving God will all impact and deepen our relationship with God, and, in turn, every other friendship we have.

Photo Credit: www.goministries.net