Whitney Williams - Not to be outdone

NICK EICHER, CO-HOST: Today is Tuesday, March 29th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, CO-HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Here’s WORLD commentator Whitney Williams on the practice of honoring others.

WHITNEY WILLIAMS, COMMENTATOR: When it comes to outdoing one another in showing honor, the exhortation in Romans 12:10, I have to admit, I often feel outdone.

For example, not too long ago I contacted some WORLD friends who live about an hour and a half away from me. I wanted to thank them for their financial support by taking them to lunch.

“Bring your boys!” they said.

“Oh boy,” I thought.

My kids are well-behaved, but I knew they’d have a hard time sitting in a booth for two hours while mama talked business. So I suggested a quick lunch and then asked if we could spend the rest of our time together at the couple’s hobby farm. “Maybe show us some of your leather and woodworking skills, Ron?” I said in an email.

AMBI: Woodcutting and talking [fade under]

Ron did more than show. He and his wife, Cami, had the Williams boys up on stools hammering, sawing, sanding …

I set up that meeting to get to know Ron and Cami, and to say thanks. But these WORLD supporters outdid me in showing honor.

I left their farm that day filled with gratitude. But I have to admit, I don’t always appreciate being outdone. For instance, my sister-in-law consistently hits home runs in the gift-giving department. Her tissue paper’s crisp, she includes a package of batteries with electronic gifts … always gets my kids an extra something on top of what they asked for. And I’m grateful, of course. But oftentimes, as we pack up the car after family Christmas celebrations, guilt and shame overtake me. “Outdone, once again! Why you gotta be so cheap, Whitney? You have GOT to do better on the gifts next time.”

To make matters worse, I’m usually hit with a double-whammie of honor at those family celebrations. My mother-in-law prepares a feast that could feed my family for a week. She takes joy in the preparations, as does my sister-in-law with her gift giving. “So where does that leave me?” I wonder, filling ill-equipped as I scrub dishes in my in-laws’ kitchen. “How could I ever possibly outdo these women in showing honor?”

Cook more on holidays? Spend more on gifts?

Maybe.

But then again, maybe God created, equipped, and called me to fill in the honor gaps elsewhere. Some days, people need a listening ear, a word of encouragement, or free childcare.

AMBI: [0:55] Noisy kids playing [fade under]

These are things I can offer. In fact, today I have three extra kids at my house. And they’re over here so much, I’m starting to wonder if I can claim them as dependents on my taxes. Their working mom just sent me a grateful text. She fears she’ll never be able to reciprocate the honor. I tell her not to worry. I know exactly how she feels. Perhaps God’s created and equipped you to fill in the honor gaps elsewhere, I text her, joking that the Mason jars full of creamy, homemade iced coffee she often brings me more than make up for the tornado of joyful children tearing through my house.

I’m Whitney Williams.

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