Greg Mauro has served for 26 years as the vice-president of Ministries for international evangelist, Dr. Morris Cerullo and is the author of “The Blessing of Serving Another Man’s Ministry: Seven Serving Secrets That Will Sentence You To Success!”
I knew a man very well that went to work for a major ministry. He quickly worked his way into a position of leadership in the ministry. Whenever he was in the presence of the president of the ministry he was the picture of honor. From serving the man water, juice, etc… to buckling him in his car, to displaying the most incredible outward show of honor and respect once could imagine. But when he was not in the presence of the mentor he would second guess and make ever increasing disparaging remarks.
This man had a hidden agenda. He was operating under the deception that he would one day take this man’s ministry, which sadly he eventually attempted to do through a five year series of frivolous and totally unsuccessful lawsuits against his mentor.
Today this man is completely out of the ministry while the mentor is thriving, reaching the world for Christ. Honor is much more than an outward display or lip service.
We serve a God who puts a high premium on the character trait of honor. Yet we live in a day where there is an apparent dearth of honor both inside and outside the church. Simply defined honor is high respect toward someone or something.
How can we expect the blessing of God as we serve another person’s ministry without a heart felt, abiding, sincere honor and respect for our mentor?
Honor is referred to directly or indirectly over 400 times in scripture as a command in both our horizontal (with our spouse, employer, children, those in authority, etc) and in our vertical (with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) relationships.
Every dysfunction can be traced to a lack of honor for authority.
The first commandment with promise is “Honor thy mother and father that your days may be long upon the land your God is giving you” Exodus 20:12
A great man once said, “All truth is parallel”.
Not only will we be blessed in the “land” that God has given us when we honor our natural parents, but the same honor is a condition of God’s blessing as it relates to our spiritual leaders. We live in a generation that openly celebrates dishonor and disrespect.
II Timothy 3:1-2 foretold our day: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud; blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent…”
Sad to say that dishonor and second guessing of our leaders runs rampant in the church today. Something as simple as referring to our pastor by his or her title and not simply on a “buddy buddy” first name basis that so many today feel is appropriate under the misguided belief that there is no difference between the laity and the clergy.
Do you think over familiarity with your spiritual leader/mentor can lead to disrespect? It did for Aaron and Miriam. (Num 12:1-2) And the Lord called Aaron and Miriam to task on it immediately!
“They (Aaron and Miriam) said, ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t He spoken through us too?’ But the Lord heard them…So immediately the Lord called out to Moses, Aaron and Miriam and said, “Go out to the tabernacle, all three of you! And the Lord said to them, ‘Now listen to what I have to say!”
The Bible tells us that the Lord was very angry with them, and struck Miriam with leprosy!
Some of the most “super spiritual” believers are the ones that have the biggest struggle with honoring their leaders as they feel that they have arrived and are on equal footing with anyone. While it is true that we are equal in relationship to God, we are different in function, and God expects that difference to be honored.
God expected it of the children of Israel and He still expects it today.
A return to biblical honor of our spiritual leaders is an indispensable key that will begin to release a new dimension of the blessing of God into your life, your family and your ministry.
(The above is an excerpt from “The Blessing of Serving Another Man’s Ministry: Seven Serving Secrets That Will Sentence You To Success”, available on Amazon.com starting at $2.99 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932579230 Discounted bulk copies available direct from author at gregmauro1159@gmail.com Join Greg’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/TheBlessingOfServingAnotherMansMinistry)
Greg Mauro's Blog 
Can I just say what a relief to find someone that really understands what they are discussing on the web.
You certainly understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important.
A lot more people must check this out and understand this side of
your story. I was surprised you are not more popular given that you certainly
possess the gift.
Great question! God has been so good through the years. I have a personality that tends to worry about things that in the end and by the grace of God invariably turn out fine. So I would say one thing I would do differently is worry less and trust God more.