Honoring one another above yourself in that way is a strong indicator of a sincere love that is powered by God’s saving grace. Why? Because placing such a high value on people that we would honor them like that is not natural. It’s not our nature. Our nature is to honor ourselves. And even when we do honor others, the end goal is so we can honor ourselves in the process isn’t it! You don’t see the people of the world striving to put others first, you see people fighting to be first.
So when you see someone sincerely honoring others before themselves, and not only doing that, but striving to be the best example of doing that, you are seeing something that runs totally counterclockwise to reality. It stands out like a 50ct. diamond in a bowl of Diamond walnuts! You can’t miss it. You can’t ignore it. You don’t forget it.
The problem is, if we are honest with ourselves, we tend to still treat one another more like just another walnut in the bowl, than as the diamonds that God’s grace has made us to be. Through the grace of God, we have been changed from walnuts to diamonds, and are therefore called to treat one another as diamonds that are precious treasures in God’s house.
I’m not saying that some Christians to our eyes don’t still seem more like walnuts than diamonds, but it is not what we see that determines what they are, it is what God sees that determines what they are! How foolish would it be to treat a diamond like a nut; as something of little value, something that you don’t think twice about throwing out when it doesn’t look right, taste right, or falls on the floor, something that you can replace cheaply if it is lost or broken?
Diamonds are treated with honor. We take care not to lose them, and if do, we stop whatever we are doing and look high and low for it until we find it. We wear them proudly and prominently. We want to be seen with them. We insure them and keep them safe.
So, when you survey your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, whether sitting with them in your church service, or looking over them during coffee hour, or getting together for some small group, or function, what do you see? Do you see a room full of diamonds, or a bunch of nuts? Do you see the sons of Jonathan, or do you see people crippled by their past, pedigree, or personal failings? Do you see people that God wants you to honor above yourselves, or do you see people who need to get their act together first?
Remember, you honor what you value.
Learning To Be Full Of Grace And Truth. 
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