Living Honorably

 DEVOTION

TO HEBREWS

LIVING HONORABLY

Heb 13:18-19

18 Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. 19 I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.

NIV

We are at the closing remarks of this letter to the Hebrews and the writer asks for prayer. It is not a prayer for healing or some struggle in life, but one that is so the writer would have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. There are two truths we should deal with, the first is being in prayer for those who serve the Lord. We believe the writer of this letter is in some way either an apostle or pastor/teacher. He is asking for prayer that he would be restored to them, meaning that he would be able to return to this church of the Hebrews and teach or pastor them further in person. Either way, he is asking for prayer, to be lifted up so that he might live honorably in every way. It is good to have the desire to live honorably. The Greek word here is Kaloos and carries the meaning of beautifully, finely, excellently, well, or rightly, so there is no room for blame, nobly, commendably, to be spoken well of. Of course, each of those definitions is used in different contexts throughout the New Testament. However, the point is the same. Those who serve in leadership roles, either apostles, evangelists, prophets, pastors/teachers can use prayer so their lives would be honorable in every way, which includes before God and men. The second truth is this desire to live honorably in every way. If one is called upon to serve in any of those leadership roles, we would think that person ought to have a sincere desire to live in that manner. The Greek word here is Theloo, meaning to be resolved or determined, to purpose. Any leader should have that resolve, that determination to live an honorable life before God and men. We would think if that is not true, then perhaps their calling is not from God, but from men. Let us use this example when men choose their pastor, who may or may not have been called by God, there may well be trouble in the church. However, if men seek after someone who has been called by God, that should be reflected in the pastor's desire to live honorably, having that resolve and determination to live rightly before God and men, then there should be love and harmony within the church, for God is at work there. Let us all have that resolve to live honorably before God and men.