Growing up, I had the ideal childhood. I had two amazing parents. They were available. They cared for me. They nurtured me. They protected me. They taught me. They disciplined me (when I needed it). Most importantly, they loved me! If the Fifth Commandment said, “Love your child/children so that it might go well with you and you may have a long life,” my parents nailed it!
However, the Fifth Commandment doesn’t say that. Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” So it’s not up to my parents to keep this commandment, it’s up to me. As I look back on my life, I’m certain my father and mother knew I loved them, but I’m not sure they always felt honored. It’s not that I was dishonoring them, but I’m not sure I was honoring them. In fact, I’m not sure what honoring them even looked like.
On Sunday, Andrew Archer shared that honoring our father and mother was actually showing them how valuable they are to us. It was giving weight to the relationship. As I got older, I moved from simply loving my parents to showing them honor. I looked for ways to show them and tell them how much I valued our relationship. This became even more important to me during the last year of my dad’s life. There were more calls and visits to see him. They were precious times. I believe my dad knew how much I loved him, cared for him, and honored him!
However, the Fifth Commandment doesn’t say that. Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” So it’s not up to my parents to keep this commandment, it’s up to me. As I look back on my life, I’m certain my father and mother knew I loved them, but I’m not sure they always felt honored. It’s not that I was dishonoring them, but I’m not sure I was honoring them. In fact, I’m not sure what honoring them even looked like.
On Sunday, Andrew Archer shared that honoring our father and mother was actually showing them how valuable they are to us. It was giving weight to the relationship. As I got older, I moved from simply loving my parents to showing them honor. I looked for ways to show them and tell them how much I valued our relationship. This became even more important to me during the last year of my dad’s life. There were more calls and visits to see him. They were precious times. I believe my dad knew how much I loved him, cared for him, and honored him!
| Andrew asked a pointed question toward the end of his talk. "Am I living a life worth honoring?" |
The Apostle Paul emphasized this commandment in the New Testament in Ephesians 6:1-3, “Children, obey your parents as you would the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.” The by-product of honoring my father and mother was the promise of things going well for me and a long life. That sounds like a great promise. And while things haven’t always been great, I believe my life has been better because I honored my mom and dad.
Andrew asked a pointed question toward the end of his talk. "Am I living a life worth honoring?" As a parent, I have tried to emulate for my children what my parents did for me—care, nurture, protect, teach, discipline, and love. Now that my kids are adults, how would they answer that? Their answer is the value they ascribe to their mother and me by what they show us and tell us, how they respect us, and how they love me and care for us. The honor they show us will have the same promise for them—that it may go well with them and they will have a long life in the land.
It’s the same promise we can all have when we honor our fathers and mothers!
Andrew asked a pointed question toward the end of his talk. "Am I living a life worth honoring?" As a parent, I have tried to emulate for my children what my parents did for me—care, nurture, protect, teach, discipline, and love. Now that my kids are adults, how would they answer that? Their answer is the value they ascribe to their mother and me by what they show us and tell us, how they respect us, and how they love me and care for us. The honor they show us will have the same promise for them—that it may go well with them and they will have a long life in the land.
It’s the same promise we can all have when we honor our fathers and mothers!
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