Code of Honor预览

The Courage of the Tribe of Honor-Builders

Building a culture of honor—where we worship, serve, or live—requires action, proactivity, passion, and patience to change realities. It is impossible to build a culture of honor from a place of comfort because it involves deep transformation in the belief systems, habits, and values of an institution, a team, a community, or a family. It takes effort and perseverance.

You can’t build a reputation for honor overnight—much less by decree. Constructing or reconstructing a culture of honor takes time. It must be understood as a multifaceted initiative that is built gradually. It usually involves intentional decisions followed by a series of sustained actions that include everyone within the organization or group.

There is a Greek word in the Bible, filotimeomai, which appears three times in the New Testament (Romans 15:20; 2 Corinthians 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:11). It refers to those who love (philos) or are driven by a passion for honor (timé). These are people deeply committed to the establishment of a culture of honor—willing to pay the price. They are moved by a noble ambition that enables, activates, and drives them to fight for honor to be restored. I like to call this group the "honor-builders"—a kind of tribe of people marked by integrity, courage, and determination to reestablish honor wherever it has been lost.

We see several examples in Scripture. Esther risked her life to protect her people from genocide. Nehemiah (2:1–6) fought to rebuild Jerusalem and restore hope to his people. Though the word honorists may not exist in dictionaries, it’s a helpful way to describe those who unite for the cause of honor. Honor-builders respond to real situations with determination to defend what is valuable, life-giving, and worthy.

You can’t pursue honor and remain seated at the same time. It takes a passion that moves you to action—to restore what has been lost or neglected. It also requires the strategic mobilization of willpower and resources. It demands focused and sustained effort.

It’s powerful to see, as in Nehemiah’s case, how a heavy burden lands on the heart in response to a perceived need—and how that burden becomes fuel for action. Nehemiah was deeply moved by the reality he saw. He felt a weight in his heart—a holy discomfort that didn’t paralyze him but pushed him into determined action. That’s what courageous, honor-building leadership looks like.

To Reflect: Honor-builders do what must be done, when it must be done, to restore the worth of people and give glory to God.