God’s wisdom runs counter to man’s wisdom. His instruction is typically rejected out of hand. Why? Because it doesn’t “naturally” make sense.
Scatter to increase. (Proverbs 11:24)
Lose to find (Matthew 16:25)
Give to gain (Luke 6:38)
Take low to go high (Luke 18:14)
Stay hidden to be noticed (Matthew 6:4)
Be dumb to be smart (Proverbs 17:28)
Be wrong to be right (1 John 1:9)
Be bound to be free (1 Corinthians 7:22,23)
Be small to be great (Luke 9:48)
Be last to be first (Mark 9:35)
Be poor to be rich (Luke 18:22)
Be weak to be strong (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Be blind to see (John 9:39)
Be a fool to be wise (1 Corinthians 3:18)
Be despised to be honored (Matthew 5:10-12)
We honor God when we lean not to our own understanding and do what He tells us to do.
If we will indeed honor Him, by rejecting our own and the world’s wisdom, and submitting to His word, He WILL honor us.
“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 58:13,14)