Greetings my friends, in the name above every other name, Jesus! Thank God for this 10th day of October, 2014! Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. Bear with me, as I introduce a topic that gets very little attention, especially among our young people, and some older persons in this day and age – honoring our parents. What does it mean to honor our parents? The word honor denotes respect, to hold in high esteem or regard. Our Father God addressed, in no uncertain terms, this subject when He declared in the 5th Commandment that we should honor our fathers and mothers. While there are many ways in which we may show respect to our parents, I believe that one area that seems to be neglected is the way in which we speak to, communicate with, and express our dissatisfaction with them. When is it ever proper to curse and berate our parents? It has become popular among some so called “grown” children to address their parents in ways that could be described as disrespectful at best and utterly shameful at worse. Granted, parents are not perfect people; in fact they may be irritating at times from several points of view. They may behave in a manner that deserves our ire. But does that give anyone the right to lambast, curse at, belittle and or demonize his or her parents? Honor means honor, whether they are pleasant, annoying, hard to get along with, or just plain out of touch with your reality. How does one deal with a difficult parent without dishonoring him or her? The answers may vary, depending on whether one is a believer or not. One could choose to ignore those pesky behaviors; make an effort to understand without being judgmental; or to be loving in spite of the brashness or un-loveliness coming from that father, mother or both. Friend, our parents are humans too. Believe it or not, many parents, like other individuals in this world, may be carrying emotional baggage, pain and sorrow, from a past that they might be uncomfortable sharing with you. Try to look beyond your hurt and their faults, and see their need. Regardless of the reason or reasons for their negative behaviors, it is our Christian duty, as believers to shower our parents with nothing short of that 1 Corinthians 13, genuine, unconditional love. Treat them with dignity and kindness; and take care of them when they get older and can no longer take care of themselves. God did not say that we should honor our parents because they are good. Neither did He authorize us to dishonor them if they behaved badly. Finally, although times have changed and we are experiencing the disintegration of the nuclear family and the proliferation of single parent homes, the commandment is the same – honor your father and your mother. Papa may have been or still is a “Rolling stone” and might not have contributed positively to your well-being, however that does not change the definition of the word honor. Mama may have shown you the parental side of a crack addict but she is still your mother – honor her. In the final analysis, honoring our parents does not mean that we have to agree with them on all issues, or even like the way they behave toward us but according to the word of God, the promise of long life hinges on our obedience. Voice your opposition to parental misbehavior but with respect. Honor your mother and father – it’s the only commandment with a promise. Have a blessed day!
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 06:49:27 +0000
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