Honoring His Name in How We Treat Others

When our actions reflect love and respect, the light of Jesus shines clearly through us, honoring His name.

Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More by Ray Stedman
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Ray Stedman points us to a sobering truth from Jeremiah 34. The people of Judah had made a covenant before God, setting their slaves free as an act of obedience. Yet shortly afterward, they went back on their word, reclaiming those same people as slaves once again. God declared this to be no small matter. He said, you have profaned My name. The Hebrew meaning behind “profane” is to wound, pierce, or deface. In other words, God was saying, you have defaced Me by your actions.

For Israel, to profane the name of God was unthinkable. His name was so sacred that scribes would bathe and put on clean garments before writing it. They would not even dare to pronounce it aloud. And yet, by how they treated other human beings, God accused them of dragging His name through the mud. The reverence they showed outwardly was contradicted by their disregard for people made in His image.

Stedman reminds us that this truth reaches far beyond ancient Judah. Nations are held to account by how they treat people. Injustice, oppression, and exploitation are never just political or social problems; they are offenses against God Himself. When one person treats another as less than human, it is a wound against the very name of the Lord.

But this also cuts down to the personal level. The true mark of our spirituality is not found in how we treat those we admire, but in how we regard the overlooked and unnoticed. How do we speak to the clerk at the store? How do we view the one who serves our table? God sees these interactions as the reflection of whether His name is honored in our lives. Reverence for Him cannot be separated from respect for others.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

My beloved, you bear My name because you are united with My Son. Remember that to honor Me is not only to worship with your lips, but to reflect My heart in how you treat others. When you dishonor one made in My image, you misrepresent Me. When you show mercy, kindness, and respect, you reveal My presence within you.

Do not measure your spirituality by knowledge alone, but by love that acts. The command I give you is simple: love one another as I have loved you. In Jesus you have been set free, and in Him you can see every person as one worthy of dignity. Let your speech be gracious. Let your actions reveal patience. Let your dealings with others be marked by the same compassion I have poured out on you.

You are a new creation. You are not bound to the old ways of pride and disregard. You are alive in Me, and I delight to display My character in how you treat those around you. Every person you meet is an opportunity to glorify My name, for as you yield to Me, I love through you.

Scripture References: Jeremiah 34:15-16, Matthew 25:40, Colossians 3:12-14, Galatians 5:13-14, John 13:34-35, Ephesians 4:29-32, Philippians 2:3-4, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:4-6.

Real-Life Analogy

Think of a window that has just been cleaned. When the glass is spotless, sunlight streams through, filling the room with warmth and clarity. But when the glass is smeared and dirty, the view is obstructed and the light is diminished. In much the same way, when we treat people with dignity, the light of Jesus shines clearly through us. But when we dishonor others, we smudge the view of His name.

Today, when I encounter someone in the ordinary rhythm of life—a cashier at the market, a delivery driver, or a neighbor passing by—I can pause and say, “Lord, I trust You to show Your kindness through me in this moment.” In that trust, His name is honored and His love made visible.

Prayer of Confidence

Lord, I thank You that in Jesus I bear Your name and Your image. I rejoice that You have set me free to love others as You have loved me. I rest in the truth that every person I encounter today is an opportunity to honor You, not by my striving, but by Your Spirit living through me. I trust that Your compassion, patience, and respect will flow through me, bringing glory to Your name.