Honor your father and your mother,
that your days may be prolonged in the land
which the LORD your God gives you.
Exodus 20:12
As the fourth commandment of God is the only commandment that tells us to “remember” this fifth commandment of God is the only commandment of the Ten Commandments that comes with a promise.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Honor your father and your mother
(which is the first commandment with a promise),
so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.
Ephesians 6:1-3
Now as we look at this command let me ask you, is a child born willing and ready and able to honor their mother and father? If you as a parent just spoke this law over them would they get it and obey it? Whose responsibility is it to teach them to obey this commandment?
Yes, it is the parent’s responsibility. If you do not teach your children to obey and honor you, then you are almost guaranteeing them a life without the blessings of God. You may shower them with all their wants and desires and they may be up to their ears in material blessings, but if you have not taught them to honor you, then you have led them to a short and upsetting future.
We are living in a day that is full of children who were not taught to honor their parents. This has left us with a generation that curses his father and does not bless his mother, a generation that is pure in their own eyes but is not washed of their filthiness (Proverbs 30:11-12).
We have a generation that thinks they owe nothing to anyone and they even feel justified in any behavior they exhibit because they see no wrong in their own eyes. They will call others names and ridicule their beliefs or shortcomings and laugh about it never seeing the condition of their own hearts. It is a generation that honors no one and places no value on a person, not even themselves, because they were not taught to do so. Life is centered on them and their own vain imaginations because they have been left without guidance. They only know survival.
I was raised by parents that taught me to honor them. My mother taught me to honor my father and my father taught me to honor my mother. They had each others backs. They did not tolerate disrespect from us, not towards them or any other authority in our lives.
I remember when I started school my parents told me that if the teacher told me the sky was purple and not blue that I was not to argue with her. I was to respect her, then come home and tell my parents that she said the sky was purple when I know that it is blue. Then they (my parents) would go and discuss the issue with the teacher, but I was to respect the authority of my teacher.
My parents taught me how to honor them, and how to honor others, and this has made the way for me to easily be able to honor my God. My parents taught me how the authority over me was there for me, for my good, for my defense, for my protection.
I hope that you were able to see a picture of that by that simple example of the teacher. Yes my teacher had authority over me when I was in her class, but my teachers authority did not out rank my parents. My parents had the authority over the teacher.
In like manner my God has the authority over my parents. My God tells me to honor my parents, and well if they are parents who tell me the sky is purple when the sky is blue, then I am still to respect them. I then go to my God and trust Him to deal with my parents, but I am to honor my parents.
When we look in the book of Leviticus we read again in Leviticus 19:3, “Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father…” Did you notice that this time the Lord says “every one of you” not just children. We are never exempt from this command to honor our parents. In Matthew 15:3-9 Jesus makes it clear to us that our parents are to always be a priority. We are to take care of them as they cared for us, and we are to take care of them even if they failed miserably at taking care of us.
Oh precious one, if you are a parent, teach your children to honor you. Teach them first by example, “A righteous man who walks in his integrity- How blessed are his sons after him.” (Proverbs 20:7). As parents we must lead by example. When our children see us honoring our parents, and honoring the authority figures in our lives, and most importantly when they see us honoring God and submitting to His will and obeying His commands then it shows them we are serious about what we expect from them because God is serious about what He expects from us.
Oh Father,
What a great privilege and responsibility You have given us as parents and as children. You care deeply about the family and You show us that all through Your Word. Help me Father, to teach my children to honor You by teaching them to honor me and by also demonstrating to them what honor is as I honor my own earthly parents and You, my God and Eternal Father. Forgive me if I have failed in this and help me to begin today living in obedience to this command. May I not use the actions of my parents as my justification not to honor them, nor the affection of my children as an excuse to not require honor from them.
My Jesus it is in Your name I pray,
Amen