Honour, the soil for blessings

The sunrise broke the darkness this morning with humbling clarity. I rose from my bed as i sensed God calling, wanting to walk and talk with me. I stolled through the forest and absorbed the morning sun as i walked along Stoomi beach. I had so many questions, all the unanswered whys and whens...

Over the past months, even years, my soul has struggled an ongoing search for a clearer understanding of God's will and His paths. As i've recently been dealing with much failure and loss, i'm peeling away layer after layer of enemy lies which like a veil of darkness has tried to envelop me.

What happened to the blessing, the vision, and the promise? Am i being tested or disciplined for a reason? The punishment seems too harsh. My life vision has been scorched and stolen by theives, and i sit imprisoned and confused by the loss. Sometimes i feel like i'm on spritual death row, waiting for my councellor to defend me. Oblivious to my offence, i fear the ruling, the sentence, yet i still hold out hope for a good word that might set me free again.

I never professed to be a righteous as Job, but so often i wonder how he felt. Sitting in ashes and sackcloth, depressed with no vision or hope, and no redemption to be seen. He too questioned if there's more to his story, perhaps in his past, or a hidden sin?

Clearly all is not well. My faith too has been shaken, my wealth has been taken, and my health has suffered greatly. What is my offence? Am i suffering for my grandfather's sin or have i offended God myself?

As i continued to walk, i sensed much more than morning sun penetrating my soul. Suddenly dawn was breaking in more ways than one. I received a revelation in the midst of my complaint...

The Bible states there is sin that can be carried through many generations. I will not begin to argue the justice of this, it's just the way it is. Early this morning, i saw the sin that has been carried through generations of my family, from my grandfather to me. I had never seen it with such clarity before, it's the issue of honour. Have our words and our actions honoured God? Have our words and actions honoured our parents, our family and our land? This is so key for God's promise of blessing to be fulfilled.

The Bible doesn't say if Job or his forefathers ever dishonoured anyone, but it clearly states that life and wellbeing are connected with how we honour others. Our family's wellbeing is dependant on how we honour our parents, our career is dependant on how we honour our bosses and employers, our spiritual health is dependant on how we honour our priests and pastors, our nation's future is dependant on how we honour our kings and leaders. We need not agree with their actions or behavior, but we need to honour them.

Honour is the soil for blessings. Dishonour blinds, removes God's blessings and in worse cases can create generational curses. Whether our own actions are dishonouring or we withhold honour from those ordained to receive it, it's a debilitating sin that can be carried on to our grandchildren. Regardless of where it began, by God's grace this curse can be broken and blessings restored, only when act and show honour to all whom it is due.

Serving or enslaving

We all love to be served, to have someone help look after our needs and desires. Many of us also enjoy serving others, drawing much personal satisfaction through service. This world needs more people with servant spirits, as even Jesus exemplified through His life of service.

Is there a place where a servant's sprirt can crumble? Is there a line we cross where a servent becomes a slave? Many of us take servents for granted. We don't call them servants, but they are the people in our live who are there at times of need. Are these relationships liberating, or do they leave us with a feeling of debt? Do we enslave others with our expectations, or become enslaved by the expectations of others?

Much of todays society is built up on expectations and rights. We have a right to be treated well, a right to an education, a right to a home, a right to a fair income, a right to drive, a right to travel, etc... But in the fight for our rights we have forgotten one word: 'priveledge'.

Recognising the fact that we are 'priveledged' is a key to our freedom. To have someone serve us is a priveledge. To serve another person should be a priveledge. Letting go of our expectations is not always easy, but so often it is our expectations that enslave us (or make us enslavers).

I think of Jesus as he served, not a slave but as a humble servent of God. He considered it a priveledge to serve others, setting the ultimate example of selfless love. This, more than deeds or words, is what liberates and draws people to Christ.

Honour ordained vs honour earned

I had dinner with a good friend last week, and as she shared with me some of the conversations she's had with her mom, I sensed how much she appreciates and honours her mother. Yet as we were talking, something troubled me though at that moment i couldn't pinpoint exactly what. I now aknowledge that i felt a little envious, as i don't recall ever having such deep conversations with my mom or dad.

A couple of days later as i was sorting through some old books, I felt led to browse one i've never read; 'The Promise' by Philip Rosenbaum. This book focuses on the first commandment God gave with a promise, Exodus 20:12 'Honour your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God will giving you' (NLT)

I don't know about you, but my relationship with my parents was never very close or deep. Although i knew my parents loved me, this love was often distant, intertwined with resentment and pain. In some ways i despised my parents during my teen years, but as i matured i learned to forgive and understand how painful events had formed and influenced their behaviour. I do love my parents, yet i sometimes wonder if i've learned to honour them as i should.

Growing up in my parent's home was not easy, but there are many who have experienced much worse than I could imagine. Severe neglect and abuse can lead one to ask 'how can parents like these be honoured?' Yet the command is unconditional, and the promise is conditional on obeying the command. We are to honour our parents regardless if we feel they deserve it or not.

We tend to believe honour should be earned, but there is a difference between earned honour and ordained honour. A king may loose the respect of his subjects if he behaves inapropriatly (as many kings have), yet an ordained king should continue to receive honour as the Bible clearly instructs. Our parents have not been chosen by us but by God. Regardless of who they are, how they behave, or what they believe, our parents have also been ordained to be honoured by us.

So the question is, am i honouring my parents as i should? Have i really understood and grasped the depth of this truth and its implications? This promise of life and wellbeing is dependent on how we honour our parents and God. Do we honour God because he has earned it? No, He is also to be honoured regardless of how we feel. So let us learn to give honour to all whom it is due.

The future's not what it used to be...

We all have plans, things we would like to accomplish during our lives, people and places we would like to see, perhaps a dream we wish to fulfil. We envision how the future should be. Our plans envelop the following minutes, days, months and years. Some plans succeed, some plans fail. Some plans never get further than the plan itself.

I've made alot of plans during my life and have had many of dreams i've wished to fulfil. Many plans have come to fuitition, and some dreams have become reality (though a few dreams have certainly become nightmares). Our perspective plans and dreams tend to change with time, circumstances and experiences. Do we have courage to dream, to plan and to believe in the future? Or when our plans seemingly fail, does our inspiration to dream of the future die with our failed plans?

This is something many of us battle with, how to deal with dreams that die? Dreams and plans are such an important part of our lives, and how we envision the future. And if there is no dream or goal, how can we see the future? Has our future changed? Can we change the future?

Sometimes it's good for dreams to die. Looking back, there are many things i have dreamed and desired that have done nothing more than take my focus off what is truly good. I've also had many plans and dreams that have completely failed, though i have felt were God given and good.

One of my favourite characters in the Bible is Joseph. God gave this guy a dream, pretty crazy dream i must admit. As i think about his journey, being sold into slavery, imprisoned under false accusations, lies and deciept which bound a man that should have been free. Had his future suddenly changed? Did he have any power to change his future?

Loaded questions, certainly not ones that could be easily and simply answered. Joseph's vision of the future had undoubtedly changed. It would seem he had no control over his future, and no opportunity to change it. Is this the place a dream and vision dies? Is this where one looses hope?

I'm not sure how Joseph felt though all this, but it couldn't have been good. The Bible doesn't portay his feelings well, but it nust have felt pretty hopeless at times. Yet through this depressing experience, Joseph's actions speaks volumes. Here's a man who has lost everything, his family, his freedom, his vision for the future, yet he finds within himself a heart to serve. Rather than become a bitter slave, he served his master well. Rather than become a self centered imprisomed victim, he helps those who have imprisoned him and who he's been imprisoned with.

Most certainly he had written off that dream from his youth. In a way he let go of a dream that died. What amazes me is the transformation in Joseph's life. Coming from the place where he boasted of his clear and hopeful dream of leadership, he humbled himself under severe and undeserved persecution to serve others, a future he had never envisioned.

So did Joseph's future change? Definately yes and no. The dream died in Joseph, but through needed humbleness God brought the dream back to life. It was brought to life not to fulfil Joseph's vision, but to fulfil God's greater purpose which Joseph could have never envisioned.

There's never been a formula for fulfilling dreams, yet letting go and trusting God seems to be an instrumental key. Though enslaved and imprisoned, Joseph became free to serve others. Serving others, doors were opened to his 'new future', perhaps not what Joseph envisioned it would be but most certainly what God planned it would be.