Long before the bombshell news of divorce hits a family, or the announcement of an organisation’s leadership team collapsing, or even the shocking vision of smoke and debris where two towers in a city used to stand – long before these things – contempt is at work in the hearts of people.

Simply defined, contempt is being dismissive towards another and ultimately devaluing them. This attitude of the heart distorts perspectives and taints speech. A work of contempt will lead to multiple waves of reciprocating behaviours, whose crippling effect can be seen upon our families, our communities and even our nations.

It’s the very heart attitude behind cancel culture.

Contempt runs rife through social media, politics and sadly, the global church today.

The good news is God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us identify when contempt creeps into our hearts and speech. Additionally, Jesus is our example of the greatest remedy to contempt, which is: honour. Jesus exampled how to honour our heavenly Father and all of His creation. 

By following the example of Jesus and maturing as sons and daughters of God who are led by the Spirit of God, we can be a part of God’s plan to clear out the desolations caused by contempt and usher in the beauty of honour. 

Proverbs 18:10 teaches us that the character, authority and honour of God is a strong tower and we who are righteous in Christ Jesus, run to it and are made safe. It’s through our relationship with God and His grace that we can clean contempt out of our hearts and be restored to honour. Our Father in heaven, who loves us, is wanting to also heal the wounds that have come from other people’s dismissiveness towards us. This is essential to receiving and imparting the kingdom of God.

As the battle between contempt and honour is held across the earth, the promise of the ‘as it is in heaven’ kingdom lies before us. It’s time for the global church to persevere, mature and not run from these trials that challenge our character so that we can participate in the fullness of God’s kingdom revealed here on earth. It’s time for us with God’s help to resist being influenced by the contempt that the world holds towards God and the church. This humbling invitation into refinement and restoring honour faces us all today.

“And they shall rebuild the old ruins,

They shall raise up the former desolations,

And they shall repair the ruined cities,

The desolations of many generations.” (Isaiah 61:4)