I hope you are enjoying this deep dive into 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 as much as I am. I am learning so much about myself in this process, and I have truly been amazed at the transformation I have seen in myself within the 1st quarter of the year. Speaking of, can you believe that 2022 is already a fourth over! I promise, yesterday was January 1!
What does “Love does not dishonor” mean? Well, I think it is important to understand first what the word honor means. Honor means to have high respect, great esteem. In keeping with the theme of our study, do you honor, respect, hold yourself in great esteem? When one doesn’t have honor for themselves, love cannot be present.
Do I have high respect for myself? Do I honor myself? I would like to think that most of the time I do. But there have been times when I have not respected my feelings. I have not brought honor to this body, this self that God has blessed me with.
Just a few chapters earlier in I Corinthians 6:19-20 the Bible says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” My body houses the Holy Spirit, a true gift from God. When I do things that bring dishonor upon myself, I am also bringing dishonor upon the Lord.
This applies to sin as well as not properly caring for ourselves. We are stewards of this body that was given to us by the Lord, and we are called to care for it properly. I am guilty of not always fueling it with nutritious fuel. Notice I did not say, “in the past…” In the spirit of honesty, I just finished a snack cake while writing this article. Now, did that snack cake bring dishonor to my body, maybe not, but if I only eat snack cakes for the rest of my life, that would not be good! Taking care of your body for me has been a tightrope walk of missteps. I have been on every diet under the sun. I have starved myself, I have limited my calorie intake to 400 calories a day, I have given up and ate anything I wanted, and in doing so, I have sent my metabolism packing. Now in my 40s, I am learning to rebuild my body and am timidly learning how to handle my relationship with food properly. God gave us food to nourish our bodies but also to bring joy. Finding that perfect balance is what I am now striving to accomplish.
Honoring your body with proper nutrition is just part of the journey. You must also be honest, truthful, and stand firm in what is right and good. When people speak of you in this world, you want your honest character to shine through. You want to be known as an honorable person. When you are known in this world as someone with good character, you bring honor to the Lord; and that is truly our main goal as Christians in this life.
On this journey of love, I hope to be someone that brings honor to God and to myself. Love and honor go hand in hand. When you do not honor yourself, love can not be present. Respecting yourself enough to do the right things will bring love and joy into your life. It doesn’t mean it will always be easy, but it will be worth it!
This week’s recipe is a scrumptious roll recipe. It is made with almond flour, cutting the carbs and the gluten. It also is packed with cauliflower! Your family will love these and never know that they are eating something so good for them! It gives you the chance to enjoy a soft, yummy, warm dinner roll without carrying that heavy feeling. We love this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and we hope you enjoy them too!
“Honor God with whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3
April 19, 2024
