A Race to the Back of the Line

Romans 12:10-13

Have you ever met people who were famous or highly esteemed? How did you treat them? You likely spoke with deep respect, deferred to them, and considered their needs as greater than your own. That’s the natural response when we feel we’re in the presence of someone “important.”

When Paul says to “give preference to one another in honor” (Rom.12:10), he is essentially telling us to treat others as if they are the most important people in the room—not because they are, but because they’ve been created in God’s image. We are called to consider others as greater than ourselves (Phil. 2:3), loving and honoring them the way the Lord does.

Loving as God loves includes a willingness to lay down the need to be first, the need to be right, and the need to have things our own way. Instead, we choose the way of the cross, humbly leveraging who we are and what’s been given to us for the benefit of those around us.

Let’s continually race each other to the back of the line. When we do this well, our friendships, families, churches, and communities will be filled with people intent on showing honor by deferring to one another. As a result, we’ll be honoring the One who created us all.

Bible in One Year: Esther 6-10