TWO VIEWS
2 CORINTHIANS 8:21 NKJV
21 providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
In this short verse, we have a glimpse into how Paul operated in his service to God.
The issue at hand was a monetary gift that Paul was encouraging the church in Corinth to be involved with. He refers to this as the grace of giving.
But Paul also mentions the three things that he takes into account in all of his dealings, which would also include the distribution of financial gifts.
Providing honorable things. Other translations read good, right, above suspicion. There was nothing manipulative about Paul. He was straight forward in all his dealings and mentioned always wanting to have a good conscience before God and man. This is a great phrase that we don’t hear as much about today. Doing things in an honorable way. What a difference we could make in a world accustomed to shady practices by being people of honor. This does not mean that people will always act toward us in an honorable fashion, but we are not exercising honor for a return. We are honorable because we are accountable to God.
And this brings us to Paul’s next two things that were a part of his lifestyle. Paul was aware of how he appeared to the Lord and to men.
How Paul looked to the Lord was the most important priority in his life. He was very conscious of his relationship with the Lord Jesus. He was accountable to the Lord and acknowledged to these Corinthians that their judgment of him was a small thing to him. Paul knew that the One who judged him was the Lord Jesus. Paul had a genuine fear of God, so everything he did was subject to the One who died for him and rose again.
But Paul also recognized that he was accountable to men. This does not indicate that Paul was trying to please men. He had written to the church in Galatia stating that if he was still trying to please men, he would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10). No, this was about Paul’s actions being able to stand up to man’s scrutiny. Paul harbored no hidden motives or secret agenda. So the closer you got to Paul, the better he looked.
APPLICATION:
We live in a world where being honorable is not quite on the forefront of social consciousness. When was the last time you heard of doing things in an honorable way? With the exception of the military, we rarely hear that word used. But it does not mean it has fallen out of fashion with God.
We want to live in such a way that we are honorable before the Lord and honorable before men. Spoiler alert - this will not always be the easier path.
Back when I was in sales, I remember having to correct a mistake my company made in a deal I was looking to close. The correction was not in my favor. But it was the honorable thing to do. I’ll never forget the look of incredulity on the faces of those that I went back to with their error. They could not believe that a salesperson did something that resulted in the loss of a sale. It was the honorable thing, and it cost me. But oh, what I gained in peace of mind and peace of heart with the Lord. And the credibility I gained with the company paid dividends for years.
PRAYER:
Lord, help me to live honorably before You and before man. I am aware that I am your representative and want to make You look good.