Honor and Respect

I don’t plan to do a series on Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” But the second chapter in the book prompted a chain of thought which I think will complement our last post on the subject.

Honor Everyone

Carnegie’s second principle is “Give honest, sincere appreciation.” The Biblical equivalent can be found here:

Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
1 Peter 3:17

The Bible uses the term “honor” instead of “appreciation,” but the meaning is similar. For clarity’s sake, I’ll include a definition for the word honor:

hon-or (verb)
1. to regard or treat (someone) with respect and admiration : to show or give honor to (someone)
2. to show admiration for (someone or something) in a public way : to give a public honor to (someone or something)
3. to do what is required by (something, such as a promise or a contract)
(Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

Sometimes honor is a public affair, as when King Ahasuerus honored Mordecai in Esther 6:1–11. But it isn’t necessarily public, for we are told to honor our parents – and as Jesus indicates in Matthew 15:1–6, that applies to our private lives as well.

Generally speaking, the Bible teaches us that we are to lead honorable lives and to give honor to others.

Being Honorable

Romans 12:17 tells us that instead of returning evil for evil, we ought to give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. Paul held himself to this standard as well, aiming at “what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.” (1 Corinthians 8:21)

As Christians, we should certainly work to lead an honorable life in the sight of God. But we should also work to lead an honorable life in the sight of those around us. We ought to be making a conscious effort to act in a manner worthy of respect and admiration.

In his first letter to the Corinthians (as quoted above), Paul writes that, at the appointment of the churches, he was traveling with a brother who was a famous preacher. He was very careful to have accountability in his handling of the church’s offerings. He was doing right by the churches, distributing it fairly; and he certainly was accountable to the Lord for his actions first. But nonetheless he took additional measures to be clearly honorable and above criticism when handling the church’s gifts.

Doing what is honorable in the sight of all doesn’t mean compromising our moral high ground. Jesus was the Son of God incarnate, holiness on earth. His sinless life made him many enemies, especially among the religious leaders. Yet for all that, we read in Luke 2:52 that he grew “in favor with God and man.” If we are to be like Christ, we should likewise be growing in favor with God and man.

If we aren’t – why not?

Honoring Others

1 Peter 2:17 tells us that we are to honor everyone. More particularly, we are to honor authorities – the emperor (1 Peter 2:17), our parents (Ephesians 6:2), governors (Romans 13:7), employers (1 Timothy 6:1–2), and elders (1 Timothy 5:17). Notice that the honor due to authorities is due by virtue of their position, not their performance. Rather, authorities who rule well should be given double honor (1 Timothy 5:17).

Besides authorities, we ought to honor our fellow Christians. Within the body of Christ, some members are more or less honorable; God has created the Church so that we can give more honor to those parts which are lacking (1 Corinthians 12:24). It may seem counterintuitive to give honor to someone who doesn’t deserve it, but it’s a documented fact of leadership that giving a person respect (even if they don’t deserve it) does far more to help them become respectable than withholding it.

Husbands and wives are commanded to honor each other (Ephesians 5:33; 1 Peter 3:7).

And, last but not least, we are commanded generally to honor everyone. We ought to act with gentleness and respect, “so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:16).

That’s a tall order.

Do you honor and respect everyone, as the Bible commands? Or only those who deserve it?

Criticism and Reproof

I’ve begun reading through Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Though much of what Carnegie has to say is valuable, I had some misgivings about the first chapter.

Don’t Kick Over The Beehive

Carnegie’s first principle is “Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain.”

He argues that even hardened criminals don’t criticize themselves or admit their actions are wrong; how much more so would normal people perceive their actions as right and justified? Criticism, he says, puts people on the defensive; wounds their “precious pride”; hurts their sense of importance; and arouses resentment. Instead, we ought to seek to understand, and then forgive.

At first blush, especially when reading it in his own words, this seems like good advice, and I’ve heard it repeated in other places. But I believe it misses some important Biblical wisdom.

2 Timothy 4:1–2
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

Paul charges Timothy to reprove, rebuke, and exhort the people of God, because they will wander after their own passions and find teachers who will tell them what they want to hear. He doesn’t seem to share Carnegie’s enthusiasm to “seek to understand and then forgive.”

That said, there’s no sense in serving up correction willy-nilly. As Proverbs says:

Proverbs 9:7–9
”Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”

It’s kind of like when Jesus talked about casting your pearls before swine. Criticism can be immensely valuable, to the right kind of person. Given to the wrong kind of person, it can cause serious problems.

But even so, it’s not always out of place to correct a scoffer:

Proverbs 19:25
”Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.”

Even if he refuses to accept the reproof, those around him can still learn from it.

But let’s circle back up to the first passage: “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” Our criticism should always be patient, always with the goal of teaching and building up – never hasty or in anger.

And, conversely, we should always be ready to receive criticism ourselves – accepting it wisely, and increasing in learning.