Honoring Parents
If you pick up your Bible and turn to Exodus 20, you will find the forgotten commandment. In these timeless absolutes that our nation was built upon, God tells His people how to live, how to govern themselves and above all to please Holy God. Tucked away in these ten is the key to many a personal victory, look at #5. "Honor your father and your mother, that you days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord you God gives you." Ex.20:12. Whatever happened to the honor part that God commands, notice these are not the Ten suggestions. Most of the talk today is bashing, attacking, blaming, and avoiding the very people that brought us into the world. Our parents have become toxic waste dumps that this generation has blamed their sin and dysfunction.
God's Word says quite a bit about relationships. He tells us over and over again that people are not disposable but eternal. When we analyze the mess that many of us finds ourselves, it seems wise to return to people that God has placed in our lives and give the priority that He calls "family". As we look at the idiosyncrasies that continue to haunt us personally, could it be that obeying this commandment might catapult us into spiritual maturity as nothing else? Could it be that your parents are just as desperate as you are to receive approval and affirmation? Could it be, that the very problems you are having with your children are a repeat performance. God tells us that our sins are visited to the second and third generations. Honoring our parents is a command for all children, regardless of age, or individual situation. There is no exception clause in the Bible, it is just as important for the adult child as the younger child still at home. This may cause some to squirm, especially when we remember some wrong choices or actions that parents made, or emotional pain that still lurks in your past. Honoring your parents does not mean that you endorse their sin or ignore physical, emotional, or spiritual irresponsibility. Nor does it mean that you flatter them with syrupy words that are insincere.
What honor means is:
Forgiving them as God has forgiven you. This is impossible if you are not saved or if you are struggling with assurance.
Looking at them as God sees them, with understanding and compassion. Recognizing what they did right & acknowledging their sacrifices.
Taking the initiative to improve the relationship and making them a priority in your life and schedule.God bless you as you seek this priority.
