Respect Your Parents

Honor your father and mother.

This is the first commandment God gave us that deals with our relationship with other people. It’s also the first commandment that ends with a promise. This commandment is so important that God made sure it not only showed up in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament in the book of Ephesians.

What does it mean to honor your parents? Does this command mean you have to agree with them? No. God knows your parents even better than you do! He created them. He understands their frailty, their weaknesses, and their faults. He knows they’ll sometimes make decisions that aren’t the best. There will be days when your feelings are hurt by their actions and their words. But through it all, God still commands that you honor them.

To honor your parents means to respect the position of authority God has placed them in. The structure he has created places God at the top, parents underneath God’s instruction, and children underneath parental guidance.

It’s much easier to honor parents when they’re honorable themselves. But sometimes they’re not. When they ask you to go against God’s law, you are not held responsible to obey them. If your parents ask you to do something illegal or immoral, you’re still commanded to honor them by being polite and respectful, but God doesn’t expect you to obey them.

The promise God gives us when we keep this command and honor our parents is that we’ll have a long and fulfilling life. To honor your parents means to be polite, show kindness, and express your love to them. It’s okay to disagree with them. Just do it in a godly manner, and continue to honor and obey.

It’s obvious parents will make mistakes. Think about it: They never got to attend a “School of Perfect Parenting.” They simply had you . . . and they’re learning by doing. You’ll someday make mistakes with your children. Be willing to give your parents room to fail. But continue to encourage them, honor them, and love them no matter what.

Know It!

When was the last time you told your parents that you love them? Do it as often as possible—every single day if you have the chance! They’re not perfect, but they’re God’s special gift to you.

Read It!

Exodus 20:12; Proverbs 1:8-9; 3:1-10; Ephesians 6:1-3

Pray It!

Spend time thanking God for your parents and praying for their spiritual and physical health.

©Tari Esther Opute