Part Two:
Honor and Humility
The first part of the Wesley Covenant Prayer impresses upon us the importance of surrendering and suffering. In the second part of the prayer—as I have ordered the prayer, anyway—we are presented with another set of striking themes: honor and humility.
It is possible that the original intention of this part of the Wesley Covenant Prayer was a challenge to stretch our perspective away from surrendering ourselves and toward participation in God’s mission. We are to do this even with the possibility and likelihood that it may lead to some kind of suffering, and move us toward embracing the apparent contradiction between honor and humility. As a result of taking part in God’s mission to restore the world toward its intended wholeness, we are honored, or we are humbled. This recognition reminds us, as deeply committed disciples, that we are to surrender ourselves to God for God’s use, regardless of any potential outcome.
To be honored is to be held in high regard or great esteem. It is to be given praise for our actions and accomplishments. This part of the prayer guides us toward a posture of knowing that we may be honored for our participation in God’s mission. However, it is very likely that we will also be humbled.
To be humbled is to be brought low. The word humble actually comes from the Latin humilis and literally means “low.” When we carry out God’s work in the world, we might be honored. We might also, conversely, be humbled and be seen as someone who is commonplace and of little importance or significance.
Of course, when we embrace this humility and accept the position we obtain because of it, either in perception or actuality, we experience the absence of pride. The absence of pride is authentic humility. Humility is one of the essential virtues of human condition, along with other virtues, such as temperance, chastity, and charity. When embraced, authentic humility is a sign of holiness. It is a sign of purity of the heart. Pride most often involves competition. Humility is devoid of competition. Humility levels the playing field, so to speak, so that we are nothing more or nothing less than the people around us.
As we move our way through the second part of the Wesley Covenant Prayer, look for ways the prayer sheds light on the key themes of honor and humility. Deeply committed disciples learn to live in meekness, whether being honored or humbled. The key lesson in this particular part of the prayer is about being highly respected or made low. Either way, it is God’s work, not ours.