"In Showing Honor to One Another Take the Lead."

Today we studied an article based on Romans 12:10: "In brotherly love have tender affection for one another.  In showing honor to one another take the lead."  Several points appealed to me.  

• First, respect is how we view our brother, but honor is how we treat our brother.  
• Second, Jehovah has adorned humans with a measure of dignity and honor.  We know this from Psalms 8 which states:  "You also proceeded to make him a little less than godlike ones, and with glory and splendor (or Honor in the KJV) you then crowned him."  So in dignifying or honoring others we acknowledge Jehovah as Creator and God.  
• Third, the congregation should be like a warm, close knit family.  Unfortunately, most of us come from dysfunctional families, so we may need to work harder at this, but it can be done through obedience.  "Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth with unhypocritical brotherly affection as the result, love one another intensely from the heart."  (1 Peter 1:22)
• Fourth, honor others through giving them our time and full attention.  

As we were discussing these points, I realized how sad it is that we must be taught these things as if they were new.  I believe that most of these things would have been drummed into a younger generation.  They would have learned courtesy, politeness, honor toward elders.  I do remember as a child that my mother had close friends who we children were taught to refer to as "Miss Mary" and "Mr. Frank". But that never carried through to any other adults we knew, so it was not a lesson well learned.  I didn't learn to say "Sir" or "Ma'am" until I was an adult working with the elderly.  It suddenly seemed fitting to say it.  Now I say it often:  to cashiers, householders, just about anybody.  It bestows honor and dignity, I think.  But to take my whole life to learn such a lesson! 

Thankfully, God is patient with me and gives me gentle reminders, even new instruction, so that I can make progress in growing and strengthening my walk in Christ's footsteps.