GIVING HONOUR

GIVING HONOUR

Mama Iyabo is a giver.
She takes it upon herself to be a blessing to people around her.
She is well known by all the women in her neighborhood and in her community.
She always bears gifts every festive season and she has widows on a monthly direct debit and she caters to their needs.
She picks up the school fees of many children in the church and in the community whose parents cannot afford to pay them.
Mama Iyabo is an elder who is closer to ninety than to eighty-five.
One day, her niece shared some insight into the life of Mama Iyabo.
She said when they were much younger, she used to observe and admire her auntie, Mama Iyabo, who was also much younger then, maybe in her fifties at the time. She would come bearing gifts for all the older women in the family. She would bring clothes (wrappers) and groceries and the older women would say prayers for her.
As her niece was sharing this, she made reference to the scripture that goes : “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” Exodus  20:12  KJV
Then her niece also said something very interesting. She said “My auntie had been buying longevity for herself all these years.”

How very insightful! Whether or not Mama Iyabo was deliberate in her generosity and honour to older family members, she was sowing a seed. Today she is reaping her harvest of a good old age, as promised  in the above scripture of Exodus 20:12.

Today in most African cultures, people are afraid to go back home to their villages to visit; always fearing and believing that all kinds of wicked and diabolical things will begin to happen to them if they set foot in their village . Their is the belief that some aunties or elders in the family are witches. Quite honestly some of these are very incorrect perceptions of what is truly going on. This is not being ignorant of the devices of the devil but in reality some of our worst enemies are smiling and dining with us on the regular and they are not that old relative in the village.
It is important to give honour to whom honour is due.This is what the scripture says. “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” Romans 13:7 ESV
Having said that, we must not let ourselves go or be just open to anything. We must be alert. We must be on guard. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16  ESV
We must pray about everything. Evil does not look dark or black these days. Evil is coated in all shades of light. We must beware.  “But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14 NLT

So when next you see that auntie, that uncle, that older cousin, just be courteous, polite and respectful. That is the decent and appropriate thing to do. And honestly, if it is the case that you can bless them, do not hesitate to do so too. Set boundaries if you must but honour who must be honoured.

The Holy Spirit will guide us appropriately and will shield us from any harm. By honouring others we bring honour and blessings to ourselves.

OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©