Honoring Spiritual Leaders and Mentors: A Gift from God

Mentors and honoring spiritual leaders. To have a good spiritual leader or mentor in your life is truly a gift from God. Your response to that gift will determine much of what happens in your future. Scripture says, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine” (1 Timothy 5:17).

Honor reveals character. To honor someone means to show approval, gratefulness, and respect. To dishonor someone means to disdain, put down, belittle, and insult. Those that honor their fathers lengthen their lives and those that dishonor their fathers shorten their lives. This truth is found in the Fifth Commandment. “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12).

You not only have natural fathers, but you have spiritual fathers. A spiritual father is that person God puts in your life to help you become all that God has called you to be. Spiritual fathers transfer a wealth of knowledge to their sons and daughters through the spirit of wisdom. Scripture says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). To have a spiritual father in your life is a gift from God. Your response to that gift will determine much of what happens in your future.  

Sons must guard against the pitfalls of jealousy, pride, and dishonor. Lucifer is an example of one that dishonored his leader. One trait that led to Lucifer’s downfall was pride.

Insecurity is the root of pride.

An insecure and prideful person will most certainly belittle others. To belittle a person means to dishonor them.

Dishonor ends relationships.

Lucifer was jealous of the glory given to Jehovah. His jealousy opened the door to pride, and pride led to dishonoring God.

“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” (Ezekiel 28:13-15)

A prideful person is an ungrateful person.

Nobody likes to be taken for granted. A prideful person will dishonor those in authority, even their mentors, spiritual leaders, and loved ones. When Lucifer dishonored God he was immediately cast out of heaven (the commanding heights).

Christ told his Disciples, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Scripture further declares, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9). As already said, dishonor ends relationships.

God honored Lucifer among the angels and titled him Son of the Morning. Lucifer was the covering cherub, created by Jehovah to lead worship. The jealous desire to be praised, instead of offering worship to Jehovah, entered Lucifer’s heart. This jealously led to pride and pride led to dishonor.

Dishonor abruptly ended Lucifer’s relationship with Jehovah.

God did not waste any time dealing with Lucifer’s rebellion. There was no more discussion, a chance for reconciliation, or a counseling session, only swift separation.

Dishonoring someone is a choice of action that reveals a serious character flaw.  (Character is the real you, the core you.) Seldom (not always) do you find reconciliation between two people when someone dishonors another. This is terribly unfortunate and should not happen within the Body of Christ.

People choose whom they honor. You can know much about a person based on what they value and whom they honor. Christianity is about relationships, relationships with Christ, and relationships with others.

Those that honor you qualify for a different relationship with you.

Never offer close friendships to those that have needs alone. There are millions of needy people in this world but spend time and build relationships with those that honor you. It has been said before, “Go where you are celebrated, not where you are tolerated.” Those that honor you draw the gift of God out of you.   

The prideful are full of contention and like to argue.

Scripture says “Only by pride cometh contention” (Proverbs 13:10). Protect yourself from those that dishonor you. When someone dishonors you, your relationship suddenly changes.

Jesus said you know them by their fruits. Character is revealed in others by whom or what they honor. Lucifer had a big problem; he was jealous of his leader. That jealously opened the door for pride and every other evil thing. The result was he dishonored Jehovah and led a rebellion against Him. God’s response was sudden and sure, expulsion from his presence.

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you who should be honored in your life and the proper way to do it. Also, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those that repeatedly dishonor you. Those that continue to dishonor you should be distanced from your life.

Spiritual sons and daughters must guard against the pitfalls of jealousy, pride, and dishonor. Just as dishonor ends relationships, honor builds relationships. As mentioned before, to have a good mentor or spiritual father in your life is truly a gift from God. Honor your leaders. Walk with the wise and be wise.

Your partner,

© Apostle Jonas Clark
www.jonasclark.com