READ: John 5:31-47
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” – Galatians 1:10
The “honour of man” is the single greatest influence on ministers, apart from the Holy Spirit. Virtually every decision a ministry makes is a decision between following the Holy Spirit or following the honour of men. The honour of man is simply the respect and admiration that comes from other men in society.
Jesus made it clear that He did not receive respect and admiration from men. This means that He did not do anything because men would honour Him. He explained, “How can you believe, which receive honour one from another?” In other words, how can you flow with God when it is important for you to have the respect and the honour of men?
Without knowing it, most of us have a group of human beings whose admiration and respect we crave. We long for them to approve of us and to admire our achievements. Our schooling, our spouses, our cars, houses, food, and our clothes are all designed to attract the endorsement of people around us. The honour of man will lead you to possess things you should not possess.
Perhaps you fear the scorn and disapproval of men. I tell you that if there is any one thing that guides us, it is this disease I call “seeking the honour of men”. Just like the Holy Spirit, the honour of man is an invisible influence, but it is very real.