The other day, I enjoyed an exhilarating bike ride on the trails near my home. Though I like to hunker down and ride fast, I have to be careful because I’m not the only one on the trails. On the straightaways it’s fun to hammer down and go as fast as I can, but whenever I come to a blind turn or come upon people, I slow way down and ride carefully so everyone can enjoy the path, not just me.

Yesterday, certain parts of the trails were populated with clusters of teens from a local high school track team. To be frank, it never ceases to amaze me how many of the teens today show no regard for adults. I’ve seen this dozens of times. They’ll be walking five wide on the trail, and when they see me, they don’t move or acknowledge my presence in any way, they just continue their discussion, expecting me to ride in the grass to get around them (which I don’t do).

Once in a while, though, you’ll come across an honorable youth who looks up, smiles, extends his arm to move his friends out of the way, and makes a way for me to get by. Whenever I see such a youth, I think to myself, “That young person will go far in life.”

There’s something wonderful about honor. When one is humble enough to make room for another, to give respect and affirmation where it is due, it’s simply a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, it’s a lost virtue in our day. Why do you think that is? I’ve thought about this for some time and I think it has much to do with the selfishness and entitlement mentality in our culture. We live as if the world revolves around us; as if our opinions, insights, wants and needs reign supreme. God forgive us! You see dishonor in politics, sports, business, and, among our young people today.

But what if honor made a comeback?

What if we engaged in political conversations with those whom we disagree, and did so with humility, civility, and respect? What if we honored them first and foremost as people created in God’s image? And what if we had the audacity to admit that we really don’t know as much as we think we do? What if we went the extra mile to train our children to hold the door for an elderly person, or to step back so another could step in line ahead of us? Could that one young person change the world? I believe so.

When we honor another, we not only hold them in high regard, we increase our own equity; not our personal value, but the value of what we bring to the table. When we make honor a regular practice, others start to respect us and our words start to ring true with credibility.

Pray with me that honor makes a comeback. And may it start with you and me. Who can you honor today? Who can you bless, lift up, and make room for? May it be so.

And that’s my rant for today.

Have a blessed week~