Jump directly to the Content

A Circle of Honor

By regularly giving people praise and recognition, we reflect Christ's ministry and the relationship of the Trinity.

Have you ever found yourself in a circle of honor? I did for just a few minutes many years ago. They were life-transforming minutes and I will never be the same.

Barely 17 years old and newly converted to Christ, I was in the foyer of my downtown home church wearing a robe and making my way toward the baptistery when it happened. My 68-year-old pastor, standing in line next to my unsuspecting parents and me, enthusiastically asked a visiting guest speaker, "Have you met this young man? Well, let me introduce you to him. This is Robert Crosby." Is he talking about me? I wondered. "God is doing great things in this young man's life and we are excited about his future!"

Although my pastor had ministerial duties to perform that night such as baptizing a bunch of new believes, hosting a guest evangelist, and leading the congregation, and no more than a few moments to spare, the words he chose filled something within me. At once I felt affirmed, appreciated, and significant. ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Secrets for Managing Your Time Wisely
Secrets for Managing Your Time Wisely
Five questions for pastors to ask.
From the Magazine
The Evil Ideas Behind October 7
The Evil Ideas Behind October 7
The Hamas attacks in Israel have a grotesque ideological history and deserve unflinching moral judgment.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close