Honor Him

            I spend a lot of time in my car. Since my business is spread out through various counties within my state, I travel daily to those areas that we service. Some days it is nothing for me to put 200-300 miles on my Jeep. I would almost be tempted to say that I am a professional when it comes to driving! However, if you were to ask any one of my friends or family members about my driving, they would tell you I drive like a maniac! And, (humbly I must admit) they would be right- because I am a maniac behind the wheel. I am that crazy woman weaving in and out of traffic, honking my horn and screaming at you to use the gas pedal that came standard with every car! My driving had become so bad that I took my company logo and information off it. I didn’t want people to know who I was, let alone the company I owned! I didn’t want to lose a potential client because I rode his bumper till he got out of my way, calling him an idiot as I screamed past him. Pretty sure that would not be good for business!

           My frustration became so bad one day that as I called the person in front of me an idiot, it hit me that this person could be one of God’s elect. The person in front of me, who I just called stupid, could be beloved of my Father in heaven. I was convicted and I began to repent of my sin of anger and frustration while I drive. Since then, I have been praying that the Lord God would give me the strength and wisdom to change this heart attitude of mine while I am driving, and in any other area of my life that it has affected.

            My life is a lot like my driving. I find myself weaving in and out of appointments, getting upset because someone didn’t do their job, or someone failed to even show up to do their job, or someone isn’t moving as fast as I would like them to. I have reached a level of frustration in my life, and it bothers me, it convicts me. All this weaving in and out of life, rushing to the next appointment, or the next path cannot be honoring to the Lord. And the hard truth is that it isn’t.

            As I sat down before the Lord and prayed for His wisdom about the frustrations I am having within my life, and within my business, I asked Him what about my day brought honor to Him. Was I honoring Him with my prayer time and reading of His word? Was I honoring Him with my time, with my attention, with the choices that I have made? Did I honor Him in my words, my actions, and in my day to day dealings with others? Did I honor Him at all?

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce, then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” Proverbs 3:9 ESV

            Do we honor the Lord with the first fruits of our life? Do we honor Him with our wealth, our tithes and offerings? Do we honor Him with our time, our choices, our words, our dealings with others? Do we honor Him with our lives? I have all that I have because He has given it to me. I have breath because He gave it. I have a family because He blessed me with them. I have a business, a career, a car, a house, food and provisions because He has given it to me. Do I honor Him with it all?

            My driving is erratic and all over the place, and my life, lately, looks much the same. I am always in a rush to go somewhere or do something, and have not slowed down enough to ask if what I am doing brings any honor to my Lord. It is my heart’s desire to live a life that is pleasing to Him. A life that continually shines for Him and points to Him. But lately, it seems like all anyone sees is the flash of my turn signal as I speed past them, yelling at them to get out of my lane!

            Honoring someone means that we give them the glory and first place in our thoughts about them. We seek to uphold them and give them the preeminence over us. If we seek to honor God then we will give Him the preeminence in every decision, appointment and turn we need to make. If we seek to honor Him, then we must learn how to acknowledge Him in all that we say, all that we do, and all that we think.

“In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:4 ESV

            My paths of late have not been very straight. They are full of turns, very sharp curves and detours. Why? Because I haven’t slowed down enough to acknowledge His paths for my life. Instead of listening to Him tell me whether to go to the right or to the left (Isaiah 30:21) I have rushed ahead and already turned the corner.

            Our lives are journey’s set upon a road that God has predestined for us to travel. (Ephesians 2:10) We are pilgrims in a strange and foreign land. We are not permanent residents of this earth. We are travelling to a land that was promised to Abraham, Isaac, David, the prophets and now, through Jesus Christ our Lord. We might know where we are going, but we won’t always know how to get there. He must direct our paths. The road we are driving on will be frustrating and full of accidents if we do not learn to honor Him and acknowledge Him in every way.

Pinterest

            One of the things His Word has brought home to me is my need to discern my days better. I need to slow down and ask the Holy Spirit to guide my decisions, my choices, and even the appointments I make. I need to honor Him with the fruits of this life He has given me. Does my schedule for the day honor Him with my time? The appointments I make; do they bring Him honor? The decisions I must make for the business; will they bring Him honor? Does my day give Him the preeminence in every single way?

            If you are like me and find yourself struggling with time management, or if you are finding yourself constantly frustrated with the day to day stresses of life, ask yourself if your choices are honoring God? Take some time to slow down and look at your day. What section of the highway is the Lord having you travel today? Ask Him whether this turn, or that turn, or that stop you should make, will it be honoring to Him? He has given you this day, does all that you have planned give Him first place?

            I have always struggled with time management, and trying to rush through life to get to the end, but God, in His great mercy, is showing me in His Word that I need to slow down. I need to seek Him first. I need to stop and acknowledge Him and He will make my way straight, and He will move the hindrances out of my way. I will still have detours, sudden road changes, breakdowns and even some lane closures; but the way will be smooth and He will be honored by all I do. May the Lord God bless you today as you navigate your way through this road of life. Amen.