Circle of Honor

     There was a time when a man's word meant everything.  Even unbelievers could be trusted to uphold their word because their honor and reputation were everything.  We know that Jesus told us not to swear by anything, but to let our "yes" be "yes" and "no" also be "no".  If you say you will do something, you should consider yourself as much obliged to perform it as if you had sworn it and written in blood.

     Today, through a degeneration of society, even Christians often do not uphold things they swear to do.  A man might promise to help a family with work on their home.  But circumstances may change and he breaks his agreement.  A man might propose marriage to a woman and assure her that he believes, as she does, that it is God's will, promise her that his commitment is a solid covenant.  But when things make it tough to follow through with that promise, he might run the other way.

     I really like the book, "Circle of Honor" by Carol Umberger (a must read).  It's character, Adam Mackintosh, again and again proves himself worthy to be the laird and chief of his clan.  He makes painful sacrifices for the sake of a woman he does not even know.  The woman tells him that, "truth be told, there cannot be a more honorable man in all of Scotland."  This sort of honor is not impossible.  It was common a long time ago.  Especially among those who knew they had to uphold the reputation of their family.  

     Is that sort of honor possible?

     The Bible tells women to submit to their husbands.  But men are told to love their wives as Christ loves the church that He gave Himself for her.  A man who has the kind of honor and principle demonstrated here would be the kind of man that a woman would want to follow and even obey.  I often wonder if there are any honorable men left.  If I will find a man who will give me his love, nourish and cherish me as he does his own flesh.  

     The only man I could ever give my heart and my life to is one whose life is not dictated by circumstance or situation, but by principle.  One who can demonstrate to me that he loves me more than any other person in his life.  Especially his own parents, siblings and grandparents.