The Currency of the Kingdom

Written by Jarred Rushing

(7 minutes)

Then the word of Yahweh came to him, saying, "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and remain there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you." So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, "Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink." So she went to get it, and he called to her and said, "Please get me a piece of bread in your hand." But she said, "As Yahweh your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die." Then Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, 'The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the face of the earth.'" So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. (1 Kings 17:8-15)

Honor is the currency of the Kingdom. 

In our culture we grow up learning that in order to ensure that there's more resources for us in the future we'll have to protect and hold on to whatever comes into our life today. Don't give valuable stuff away. Stuff you don't want? Clothes you don't wear? Money you don't need? That's fair game. You can donate that stuff until your heart's content, but whatever you do...don't give away bread that you and your household need to survive. It's safe to say that our culture's motto is "take care of yourself, first."

But I have some news for you that you may or may not like to hear: the culture of the Kingdom is the exact opposite. 

Honor is the currency of the Kingdom.
Honor is the gateway to more.

And the definition of honor is this: placing high respect, great esteem, and the most significant value on something outside of yourself. The very nature of honor is to admire something else more than you admire yourself. Honor is what we express when we find something of great value outside of our own existence. Honor is what we felt when we first fell in love with our spouse. We were completely enamored. Up until that point we thought that we were the most important people on the planet, but then we fell in love (intimacy) and honor began to flow. Honor is the currency of the Kingdom, because the Kingdom isn't transactional - it's relational. It's the same in marriage - if you desire more from your spouse the answer is not giving them more money (that's prostitution). The answer is giving more honor. There is nothing that reignites a marriage like increased honor. And so it goes in the Kingdom.

Here is another way I've heard this explained: The Principle of Honor states that "accurately acknowledging who people are will position us to give them what they deserve and to receive the gift of who they are in our lives." 

So, are you concerned about running out and not having enough? Are you concerned about resources drying up? Is there an area that you've been hoping and praying for increase and abundance? The answer is honor.

The world says, "If you give it away, you won't have anything left for you." The Kingdom says, "If you want more, don't hold on to what you have."

If honor is the currency of the Kingdom of God, then dishonor is the quickest way to go bankrupt. 

When Jesus arrived in his hometown of Nazareth, he began teaching the people in the synagogue. Everyone was dazed, overwhelmed with astonishment over the depth of revelation they were hearing. They said to one another, "Where did this man get such great wisdom and miraculous powers? Isn't he just the craftsman's son? Isn't his mother named Mary, and his four brothers Jacob, Joseph, Simon, and Judah? And don't his sisters all live here in Nazareth? From where then did he get all this revelation and power?" And the people became offended and began to turn against him. Jesus said, "There's only one place a prophet isn't honored--his own hometown!" And their unbelief kept him from doing many mighty miracles in Nazareth. (Matthew 13:54-58)

Dishonor kept Jesus from doing many mighty miracles in Nazareth. Dishonor KEPT JESUS from doing many mighty miracles in Nazareth. If honor is the currency of the Kingdom, then dishonor is the quickest way to go bankrupt. 

Remember, Abba redefines everything out here in the wilderness. These daily walks with Abba are so important because we need Him to come and teach us how it's meant to be. The wilderness journey, I'm discovering, is about the willingness to relearn. We've spent many years perfecting our craft when it comes to dishonor and putting ourselves first. I'm an only-child, so I got what most would consider a world-class education in this field. So what we need today is for Abba to come take a walk with us and teach us about honor. 

Here's what I know just by meditating on the two stories above: the quickest way to run out of what I have is to dishonor the presence of Yahweh in the spiritual authority that Yahweh Himself has sent to my city to ensure that my flour never runs out and that my oil never goes empty. To dishonor the one Yahweh sends is to forfeit all miracles, provision, and revelation that Yahweh is actually trying to bring into my life. All because I could not honor. 

How we treat spiritual authority has everything to do with how we treat Abba. According to John the Beloved, to not love people is to not love God. According to Elijah and Jesus above, to dishonor spiritual authority is to dishonor God. We see the fruit of honor in the life of the widow. We see the fruit of dishonor in Nazareth.

Tomorrow, we'll see something even more profound: that life flows through honor. 

Some questions to pull into your walk with Abba today:
Abba, can you show me what honor looks like?
Abba, teach me how to honor the people that You have brought into my life?
Abba, teach me how to honor the spiritual authority that You have brought into my life?
Abba, would you establish me and my family as a household of honor in the earth?

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Worship: "The Story I'll Tell" by Maverick City Music 

Honor:  Give Online to The Wilderness Place

Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!