Have you ever paid close attention during awards ceremonies or listings of award winners? Of course the winner gets most of the attention, recognition and glory, but the 2nd and 3rd place winners are usually listed as well and get “some” appreciation. But have you noticed that often there are names added below the “winners” lists under the title “Honorable Mention”? What is this all about?
Merriam-Webster defines “Honorable Mention” as “An award or special praise given to someone who has done something extremely well but who has not won any of the official prizes.”
The Urban Dictionary is a bit more brutal in their definition: “Another word for last place in a contest or race, also used for a position very near last place. It is often used by the family and friends of the "mentioned" as they congratulate his/her effort.”
In other words, an honorable mention is kind of a token mention, almost an afterthought. It recognizes someone’s effort, but it is clear that they are not high on the priority list of praise and recognition. It’s a nice gesture to keep from hurting someone’s feelings.
So here’s what the Lord has impressed on me… how often do I just give Jesus Christ an “honorable mention” in my life? Is my time and attention (and my resources) spent on other priorities… hobbies, work, my iPhone or computer, friends, etc.? Are these priorities winning all the prime awards in the competition for my time and passion?
Do I occasionally realize that Christ is being crowded out of my life so I try to make Him (and me) feel better by making a token mention of him to someone, throwing a few “Praise the Lords” into my conversations, or dropping a few extra bucks in the collection plate. Has the Lord slipped down my priority list to the “Honorable Mention” level, or what the Urban Dictionary more accurately calls “very near last place”?
If I have allowed the Lord to be crowded out of my life, I pray that He would turn my list upside down. Jesus best captured His order for our priorities in Matthew 22:37-40: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Randy McMahon
Merriam-Webster defines “Honorable Mention” as “An award or special praise given to someone who has done something extremely well but who has not won any of the official prizes.”
The Urban Dictionary is a bit more brutal in their definition: “Another word for last place in a contest or race, also used for a position very near last place. It is often used by the family and friends of the "mentioned" as they congratulate his/her effort.”
In other words, an honorable mention is kind of a token mention, almost an afterthought. It recognizes someone’s effort, but it is clear that they are not high on the priority list of praise and recognition. It’s a nice gesture to keep from hurting someone’s feelings.
So here’s what the Lord has impressed on me… how often do I just give Jesus Christ an “honorable mention” in my life? Is my time and attention (and my resources) spent on other priorities… hobbies, work, my iPhone or computer, friends, etc.? Are these priorities winning all the prime awards in the competition for my time and passion?
Do I occasionally realize that Christ is being crowded out of my life so I try to make Him (and me) feel better by making a token mention of him to someone, throwing a few “Praise the Lords” into my conversations, or dropping a few extra bucks in the collection plate. Has the Lord slipped down my priority list to the “Honorable Mention” level, or what the Urban Dictionary more accurately calls “very near last place”?
If I have allowed the Lord to be crowded out of my life, I pray that He would turn my list upside down. Jesus best captured His order for our priorities in Matthew 22:37-40: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Randy McMahon
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