Men and Women of Honor

In the movie "Blindside" there is a part, near the end, where Michael Ohr is working on his English paper. He has to achieve a certain grade to pass and become eligilble to play football in college. He isn't sure what topic to select and he chooses a passage from "The Charge of the Light Brigade." The topic he selects is "honor." He is not so much interested in "courage" as he is "honor."

In the last few days I have thought about what professional atheltes conduct themselves with class. I have wondered about whether it is all right for Christians to use certain language or is that beneath them. I have tried to identify what it is for people to be respected and why it might be important. Is there any integrity among our leaders? Is there honesty in our media? As I rolled through these thoughts this morning before church, it occurred to me that there may be one all-encompassing trait, that if displayed, could make a big difference. That trait is honor.

What is honor? We hear songs about it: I am a man who will fight for your honor. I'll be the hero you've been dreaming of. (That song always brings to mind a date I had and a particular movie, a chick flick, I believe). We hear the word used in speeches: We've come to honor those who gave their lives..." It is found in the marriage vows: To Love, Honor and Cherish..." We hear a lot about it, but what is it?

Honor goes much deeper than courage and bravery. Courage and bravery inspire a person to do something challenging. Honor extends that to insure that the challenging task is really a task worth doing. Honor is more than integrity. Integrity, a good thing, is close to honesty and involves not only truth in words but in character. Honor pushes that one step further. It promotes truth is a manner that is kind and respectful. Honor is that quiet dignity one possesses when he/she is doing what is right and is not concerned with who will notice. Honor is that trait that motivates one to do what is right when it is costly and lonely.

I am convinced that honor is not really thought of very often today. How many people or things can we really call "honorable?"

How can we change that? The Bible gives some insight into how we can regain honor. Proverbs 15:33 notes that "humility comes before honor." The entire verse reads, "The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom and humility comes before honor." Solomon notes that a healthy respect of who God is and what he does is the first step in wisdom. He adds to that, if you want honor, then be humble. If we are going to recapture lost "honor," we begin by humbling ourselves before God and others. I am reminded of the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Last Crusade" and the scene in which they were entering the cave to find the holy grail. The clue said, "Only the penitent man can enter." Now, in the movie that meant that unless you were on your knees, you lost your head. I think there is truth there. Honorable people are humble people. Do not think more of yourself than you should. Do not seek to exalt yourself. Put others and their well-being ahead of your own. These are the marks of a humble spirit and the first steps toward honor. The Bible also tells us that whoever pays attention to correction gains honor. Proverbs 13:18 reads, "He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored." If we are to live an "honorable" life, we must have a teachable and correctable spirit. That's a bit tough, isn't it? I don't know very many people who "like" being corrected. Most folks bristle at the thought and some reject it. A man or woman of honor realizes that he/she is still a work in progress and is open to and willing to change and correct.

Is honor a "lost cause" today? Should we just accept something a bit less as our standard? I don't think I want to answer that in words. I'd like it better to answer that in my actions. How about you? Think about it and, once again, thanks for reading....