Outdo One Another
READ
What if I told you that competition could actually be holy? That there's a kind of rivalry that doesn't divide but unites, that doesn't tear down but builds up? That's exactly what Paul is proposing in today’s passage.
Let’s take a moment to read Romans 12:10b:
"outdo one another in showing honor"
REFLECT
We're used to competing for honor—fighting to be recognized, to be seen, to be valued. We compete for the promotion, the spotlight, the applause. We want to be the one who's honored. But Paul says: what if we competed to give honor instead? What if we tried to outdo each other in lifting others up, celebrating others, making space for others to shine?
Imagine a community where people are genuinely trying to honor each other more than they're being honored. Where you walk in and people are quick to notice what you're doing well, quick to thank you, quick to celebrate your gifts. Where leaders are constantly highlighting others instead of building their own platforms. Where there's no jockeying for position because everyone's too busy pointing to someone else.
That's the kind of culture devotion creates. And here's what's radical about it: this only works if it's mutual. If one person is constantly giving honor and never receiving it, that's not devotion—that's dysfunction. But when everyone is trying to outdo everyone else in showing honor, something beautiful happens. Everyone ends up both giving and receiving. Everyone belongs. Everyone matters.
This is what it looks like when we bring our whole selves to others. We don't hold back our appreciation. We don't wait for someone else to say it first. We don't stay quiet because we're too cool or too busy or too afraid of being cheesy. We actively look for ways to honor the people around us—with our words, with our attention, with our recognition of who they are and what they contribute.
But let's be real: this is countercultural. Honoring others requires humility. It requires us to notice people, to pay attention to what they're doing, to care enough to actually say something. It requires us to celebrate when someone else succeeds, even if we're still struggling. It requires us to make space for others instead of constantly fighting for our own space.
And it requires us to receive honor, too. Because if you deflect every compliment, if you refuse every thank you, if you can't accept that you matter and that your contribution is valuable, then you're robbing others of the joy of honoring you. Mutual honor flows both ways.
So today, who can you honor? Not in a performative, look-at-me-being-generous way, but in a genuine, I-see-you-and-you-matter way. Maybe it's a text to someone thanking them for who they are. Maybe it's speaking up in a meeting to highlight someone else's idea. Maybe it's simply looking someone in the eye and telling them you appreciate them.
Devotion isn't just about our relationship with God. It's about how we relate to each other. And when we outdo each other in showing honor, we create the kind of community where everyone can flourish, where everyone belongs, where everyone is seen. That's the vision. That's who we're becoming together.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
When was the last time you intentionally honored someone, and how did it impact them or you?
Why is it sometimes easier to compete for honor than to give it away?
Who in your life needs to be honored today, and how can you practically do that?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
God, forgive me for the times I've competed for honor instead of giving it away. Help me to see the people around me clearly, to notice their gifts, their efforts, their value. Give me a generous heart that celebrates others and a humble heart that can receive honor, too. Make us a community that reflects Your love by honoring one another well. Amen.