Dangers of Honoring Man (too much)
The dangers of excessively HONORING man will eventually lead to: Idolatry, Pride, Misplaced Trust, Spiritual Downfall, Risk-taking Behavior, and Vulnerability that lead to Manipulation.
By NO MEANS is that list above exhaustive. We men know the hidden struggles that are alive within.
Did I hear someone say, “Those do not apply to you”? These things did not come from me folks, GOD, His prophets and His Son referenced this all throughout the Scriptures.
Without a doubt, honoring a man too much can lead to misplaced devotion, idolatry, and spiritual blindness. This is often where human authority, or approval replaces GOD’s Truth.
Have you seen this in your place of worship? Maybe it has been evident in your own home.
Thanking a person for his service to the Kingdom is notable and kind but let’s not do so in a manner that displeases the One Who made that man, in our efforts to give him accolades.
Idolatry is one of (likely the primary) the spiritual dangers of elevating a human to a position that belongs to GOD alone. The Bible warns against misplaced honor, which is a form of idolatry, a sin that leads to spiritual and moral decay. Scripture warns against giving devotion meant for GOD to people or created things. …and man, we just eat that attention up, do we not?
The golden calf episode (Exodus 32) shows how misplaced honor leads to the righteous judgment of the ELOHIM of our souls.
Spiritual Downfall and Curses: Scripture states, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD" (Jeremiah 17:5). Placing ultimate reliance on human power or wisdom rather than the LORD’s Guidance invites His judgment and prevents a person from receiving the blessings He has for them. The cultic behaviour that thrives with excessive honor can create unhealthy dependence on charismatic figures, where their words outweigh Scripture. This breeds division and weakens communal discernment.
I mentioned spiritual downfall because, it happens! What is this really? Have we become so trusting and blind that we miss it? …or do we just choose to ignore the signs?
Acknowledging this is nothing short of giving it a name. It is usually viewed as being “the process by which a person or community (spiritual) drifts away from GOD’s Truth.”
This will often be a subtle drift at first, until the foundation of faith is compromised. It’s not usually a sudden collapse. It is more like erosion.
Inability to Believe: Honoring men can lead to a state where one encounters the difficulty to believe in ADONAI. Yeshua asked, "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, but make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only GOD?" (John 5:44). This, when realized, can be quite the wake-up call to an individual. Compare it to someone waking up from a drunken stupor. It can be one of the most sobering consequences of misplaced honor.
Scripture describes it as a heart condition—a spiritual hardness that grows when people honor man above GOD. Take a stroll through Jeremiah 17 to get a clearer view.
Pride and Hypocrisy: Pride and hypocrisy are often paired in Scripture as twin forces that lead to destruction. Seeking honor from men often stems from pride and can lead to hypocrisy, as people may perform deeds just to be seen by others rather than to honor the Lord GOD.
Loss of the Spirit’s Guidance: When the human heart turns from the Lord to rely on human strength, it loses the spiritual Guidance and protection that only GOD can provide, making it vulnerable to error and temptation. It is a common thread in the world we live in. It is not just in corporate society; it is found in our own spiritual backyards.
If I took a polled, every one of you would likely have a really good response to the question, “How does pride lead a person to destruction? In your responses, these will probably be commonplace.
Self-exaltation: Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride elevates self above GOD, making each one of our collapses certain.
Resistance to correction is one of the beginning ingredients for pride to blind us. In that state, we resist the needed rebuke. That defiance will almost always leave the sin in us unchecked, until it consumes every fiber in us.
Isolation in Pride: These two go hand in hand. Many of us have seen how well pride splits relationships, because it demands superiority rather than mutuality (see the Kings of Sidon and Tyre). Isolation is one of the most devastating fruits of misplaced honor, pride, hypocrisy, and unbelief. It is without question both a symptom and a consequence of spiritual downfall.
NOTE 1: Prophets addressed Tyre and Sidon due to their pride, idolatry, and, at times, hostility toward GOD’s people. Ezekiel prophesied the downfall of Tyre, stating, “They will destroy the walls of Tyre and demolish her towers” (Ezekiel 26:4). Isaiah likewise foretold calamity for Tyre: “A prophecy concerning Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish!” (Isaiah 23:1).
NOTE 2: Sidon also faced admonitions. In Joel 3:4, the prophet queries, “What have you against Me, O Tyre and Sidon?” In Zechariah 9:2, Sidon’s wisdom is acknowledged yet placed in contrast to the greater power of the LORD. These revelations formed a bigger reality that nations (and people) that exalt themselves or oppose GOD’s Ways eventually encounter ELOHIM’s judgment.
NOTE 3: When we walk in pride’s sin, isolation from ADONAI’s Face and Truth are eventual.
When honor shifts from ADONAI to man, intimacy with the Lord and His Spirit is broken.
Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have separated you from your GOD.”
“Pride and hypocrisy fracture trust, leaving individuals cut off from the very relationships meant to sustain them.”
“Isolation dulls the ability to hear GOD’s voice, because the heart is tuned more to human approval than the Truth of the Father.”