Honor Is The Key That Opens Everthing

Honor Is the Key That Opens Everything

After nearly 20 years of teaching people how to hear God's voice, I've discovered something that changes everything: honor is the key that opens your heart, and it's the key that opens the floodgates to His communication with you.

It's woven throughout everything when it comes to hearing from God. Honor opens doors that criticism, skepticism, and dismissiveness slam shut. We need to honor not just the Lord, but each other as well.

The Principle Jesus Taught Us

Jesus gave us a powerful principle when He said that when we do something unto "the least of these," we've done it to Him. This isn't just about feeding the hungry—it's about how we treat each other, especially when it comes to the different ways God speaks to us.

When we honor someone else's spiritual gift, even if we don't understand it, we're actually honoring Him.

Honor Others' Gifts

We all hear differently. God designed these differences on purpose because He wants a unique relationship with each of us. But here's where we mess up: we try to force everyone into our own mold.

Don't demand that the knowers tell you how they know. My husband Gregory will tell me someone is having financial trouble, and when I ask how he knows, he says, "I just know." I've learned that 90% of the time when Gregory "just knows" something, it's accurate. Demanding he explain his gift in my terms only shuts down communication.

Don't demand that the feelers stop feeling or be less emotional. They receive God's communication through emotions and sensations. Your discomfort with their sensitivity doesn't make their gift less valid.

Don't demand that the seer have the whole picture. Seers often receive just one piece of the puzzle. Sometimes God gives us fragments precisely so we'll need each other.

Don't demand that the hearers be able to say "thus saith the Lord." They may not know with absolute certainty until they step out in faith and see the fruit.

We All Bring Puzzle Pieces

We all hear in part, see in part, know in part, and feel in part. We all bring different puzzle pieces to the table.

We were never created to be know-it-alls or see-it-alls. We're all created to bring something to the table. God uses the whole body, and honor is what allows that body to function properly.

When someone shares what they believe God has shown them, and we respond with skepticism or demands for proof, we're potentially missing a piece of what God wants to communicate to our community.

Honor What He's Already Given

Honor isn't just about how we treat each other—it's about how we respond to what God has already said to us personally.

How we respond to the words He's given us impacts His ability to give us more. Jesus said, "Whoever has, to him more shall be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away."

If God gives you something and you refuse to share it because you're more concerned about what people think, you limit how much communication He can give you. How much can He trust you with if you won't be faithful with what He's already given?

Honor Requires Action

The word "heed" means to listen and to act on it. Honor isn't just respectful words—it requires action.

When God gives you a word of encouragement for someone, honor demands you share it. When He shows you something that needs prayer, honor means you actually pray. When He gives you insight about a situation, honor means you act appropriately.

This feels risky. What if I'm wrong? What if people think I'm weird? But faith always involves risk. If we're only willing to share what we're 100% certain about, we'll rarely share anything because God often speaks in ways that require faith to recognize and courage to act upon.

The Moses Example

Moses saw a bush burning in the wilderness. Bushes burned all the time out there, but this one wasn't being consumed. When Moses turned aside to see this great sight, THEN the Lord spoke to him.

God wanted Moses's attention first. He waited until Moses honored what he was seeing by turning aside to investigate.

This is how honor works with God's voice. When we pay attention to what He's showing us, when we turn aside from busy lives to investigate, that's when He speaks more clearly.

Creating Safe Spaces

Honor creates safe spaces where God's voice can flourish in our communities. When people know their spiritual experiences will be received with respect rather than skepticism, they're more likely to share what God is showing them.

When someone shares a dream or word they believe is from God and they're met with eye rolls or immediate dismissal, they learn to keep quiet. The whole community suffers because they miss what God wanted to communicate.

This doesn't mean we accept everything uncritically. Wisdom and discernment are important. But there's a difference between testing something against Scripture and immediately dismissing it because it doesn't fit our experience.

Honor in Relationships

I see this principle play out powerfully in my marriage with Gregory. We've learned to honor each other's different ways of hearing from God. I'm primarily a hearer—I receive words and thoughts. He's a knower.

Early in our relationship, I would press him to explain how he knew something, trying to force his gift to operate like mine. When I learned to honor his gift as it is rather than demanding it conform to my understanding, the flow of communication increased.

The Requirement for Fruitfulness

Honor is actually required for God's word to bear fruit in our lives. I used to think that if it's God's word, it should just magically bear fruit. But that's not how He designed it.

God wants to partner with us. The condition of our heart—specifically, our willingness to honor what He's saying—determines both the quality and quantity of fruit His word produces.

When we honor what He's given us by acting on it and allowing it to change us, we position ourselves to receive more. When we ignore or hide what He's given us, we limit His ability to trust us with more communication.

The Stakes Are Too High

Who wins if we don't honor God's voice in our lives and communities? Who benefits when God's word doesn't bear fruit? It's the enemy.

This is too important for us not to try. The stakes are too high for us not to learn how to honor the way God speaks to each of us and through each of us.

You have the God of the universe living inside you, and He's communicating all the time. There's nothing He likes more than talking with His kids.

Honor is the key that opens your heart to receive more from Him and opens the floodgates for His communication in your community. When we learn to honor His voice—both in ourselves and in others—we create an environment where His Kingdom can flourish.

So let's choose honor. Let's create safe spaces where God can speak freely through His people. Let's act on what He's given us rather than hiding it out of fear.

Because when we do, we discover that God has so much more to say than we ever imagined.

If you want to dive deeper into learning how to honor God's voice and create environments where He can speak freely, my course "Honoring God's Voice" provides practical tools and biblical foundation for this beautiful journey.

Blessings,
Susan Dewbrew

 If you'd like to dive deeper into recognizing God's voice and learning to honor what He's saying, I've created a comprehensive course called "Honoring God's Voice" that goes much more in-depth into these concepts and practical application.