Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser
We live in a world that often approaches a relationship with God like a spiritual vending machine: we insert a prayer and expect an immediate result. But what happens when the desired outcome doesn’t appear? We are left confused, wondering if God is listening or if we have done something wrong. The account of Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth, however, reveals a startling truth: the barrier to receiving God’s power is seldom His unwillingness to give, but often our inability to receive. This inability is rooted in a heart of dishonour and unbelief. When we truly honour God, we position ourselves to receive from Him, for it is through the open hands of a reverent and trusting heart that His blessings flow most freely. Get ready to discover how honouring God positions you to receive everything He has prepared for you in this article. Be blessed as you read.
If you want to receive from God, you need to honour Him. God has many gifts and plans for our lives, but we must recognise that honour and faith go hand in hand. It’s important to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, but equally important is valuing Him in your heart. You should not only trust Him as a person, which is vital, but also recognise His ability to bring about change in your life. Honour Him as someone who can heal your body, as someone who is able to help you prosper financially, and as someone who can forgive your sins, cleansing you and making you as clean as snow. It’s not just about having faith that He can do something for you; it’s about esteeming Him as capable of doing it. When you honour Him this way and trust Him with your heart, you place yourself in a position to receive from God. The Bible describes Jesus as a prophet without honour in His own hometown, highlighting the importance of recognising and valuing Him properly.
Let’s look at Mark 6:1-6: “Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offence at him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.”
The Bible states that Jesus was unable to perform many miracles in his hometown of Nazareth due to the people’s lack of faith in him. They did not honour him because they were familiar with him personally and were sceptical; they did not believe he was the Messiah. This unbelief prevented many miracles from happening there. The people of Nazareth were offended by Jesus because they knew him and his family well and struggled to accept him as the Messiah. They failed to honour or respect him as someone capable of performing the miracles he claimed. Jesus himself remarked, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home” (Mark 6:4). Since the people of Nazareth had known Jesus since his childhood, it was difficult for them to see him as anything other than the local carpenter’s son rather than the Messiah. Their lack of respect hardened their hearts and led to their stubbornness, preventing them from recognising his extraordinary works as being from God. Instead of honouring him, Jesus faced contempt and apathy because of their limited view of him.
" If you want to receive from God, you need to honour Him. "
We honour God to receive from Him; if we don’t, we risk holding back our miracles. The lack of faith among the people created an atmosphere where Jesus was amazed at their unbelief and could not perform many miracles, except for healing a few sick individuals by laying His hands on them. Jesus was both able and willing to help, but He could not do so because they failed to honour Him. While His power is limitless, it is often hindered by a lack of human belief and receptiveness. Receptive hearts are those that receive from God. Honour is one of the vital ways to receive from God, whether directly or through others. I cannot receive from another person if I do not honour and esteem them for who they truly are. It is often said, “The anointing you respect is what you receive.” To benefit from a spiritual gift or anointing, one must honour or respect it. Disrespecting an anointing or the person who carries it can create a barrier to receiving blessings from that spiritual source. Therefore, it is essential to respect men and women of God in order to access the spiritual blessings associated with them.
Many people receive blessings from great men and women of God because they honour and esteem them. However, there are also many who do not honour certain servants of God and consequently miss out on what they have to offer. The anointing of the Lord is essentially the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in action. All believers who have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit possess this anointing. We need to have faith and actively release this anointing rather than simply waiting for God to anoint us. As stated in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The Spirit of the Lord is within believers because He has anointed us to proclaim the good news of the gospel to the nations and to bring deliverance to those who are in bondage. He has sent us to heal the sick and cast out demons, but only those who honour and respect the anointing on our lives will truly receive from us.
“The anointing you respect is the anointing you receive.” This means that whatever you honour and respect is what you will receive. That’s why God sends people into our lives to bless us; their purpose is to bring God’s provision to us because His power flows through them. Those you respect can impart to you what is essential for the next steps in your destiny. For example, the disciples respected Jesus, which allowed them to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13). Their anointing was directly linked to how they honoured Jesus. Therefore, allow what you respect to impart what God has destined for you. God has anointed us to bring solutions to people’s spiritual problems, but only those who honour the anointing on our lives can truly receive from us. 5 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:15-18).
Respect leads to reception: Honouring a person or a gift establishes an open channel for God’s power to flow from that person to you. Conversely, disrespect creates a barrier. Rejecting, dishonouring, or speaking negatively about a person or their anointing can repel the blessings you may wish to receive. As illustrated in Mark chapter 6, Jesus was unable to perform many miracles in his hometown due to a lack of honour. This principle also applies to how believers interact with their spiritual leaders; showing respect for their office and calling can enable them to receive from the anointing upon those leaders. Honour plays a significant role in our relationship with God. In Nazareth, Jesus could not perform many mighty works because the people refused to honour him. Their familiarity with him as the carpenter’s son led to a lack of faith and a hostile attitude that hindered them from accepting him as the Messiah. This unbelief and preconceived notion prevented them from receiving the blessings that Jesus could have offered.
