"And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD...Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Sam. 2:28-30).
Eli and his sons abused their priestly rights and took advantage of the people. Eli's sons were wicked, but Eli honored them more than he honored God. Many Christians are concerned with their reputation—their image more than their character before God. So what if we cheat on our taxes. So what if we view porn on the internet once in a while. So what if we gossip about a brother in Christ. As long as they don’t find out and everyone else thinks I’m a fine and outstanding Christian, all is well. Some of us want to be liked by others more than we want to please God to the point that we will compromise the truth if necessary. Are you a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God? Do you desire the honor, admiration and praise of man more than the honor that God bestows? Are you a people pleaser more than you are a God pleaser? In seeking to gain the honor of men we can lose the honor of God. "Let no one imagine that he will lose anything of human dignity by this voluntary sell-out of his all to his God. He does not by this degrade himself as a man; rather he finds his right place of high honor as one made in the image of his Creator. His deep disgrace lay in his moral derangement, his unnatural usurpation of the place of God. His honor will be proved by restoring again that stolen throne. In exalting God over all he finds his own highest honor upheld" (Tozer). Honor God above all else and he will honor you.
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