“Honour your father and mother.”
~Exodus 20:12
Right now I can just imagine how this title makes you feel. Maybe it makes you feel trapped. Maybe it makes you feel uncertain. Or maybe you are like me and it makes you feel guilty. Guilty for not being a daughter that honours her parents. Guilty for thinking that your parents don’t deserve it. Guilty for thinking that your parents just don’t get it. Guilty of believing that you would be better off without your parents. Maybe even guilty of believing that your parents don’t know what they are doing.
In a day and age where teens and young adults are encouraged to defy and disrespect their parents, I know that this commandment can be such a hard one to follow compared to the rest of them.
Rebellion is encouraged. Disrespect is praised. No wonder we are on the wrong track.
In addition to this, our world is broken. I’m sure that this is not the first time you have heard or thought this. Our world is full of broken promises, broken hearts, and broken people. The relationship between the parent and child has been broken. Let me pull two lessons from this.
1. The relationship between a child and parent has been broken. A way that you can look at this is that the relationship between the child and parent symbolically teaches a lesson about the Child of God’s relationship with the Father - it is broken. Until we trade our time on earth for eternity, this relationship will never be perfect. We are Daughters of God. But our relationship with the Father is nowhere near perfect. By making this connection, we can learn another lesson.
2. Honouring our parents teaches us to honour God, and vice versa. This is a two way tie. If you are a person that truly honours God, then you will strive to honour your parents as well. This doesn’t mean perfection, but a striving for it. In addition, if you honour parents, you are honouring God because it is something that He has commanded of you! See the connection?
I know that some of you might be in a toxic household. Maybe your parents fight. Maybe your parents are unreasonable. Maybe your parents outwardly disrespect their own parents. Let me tell you something…
It is time to break the cycle.
By honouring and respecting your parents, you show them what it means to be a follower of Christ. God can work through you in order to reach your parents.
Here are three important things to remember about being a girl that honours her parents.
1. God is not your parents. He is your Heavenly Father, incapable of being imperfect. He wants the best for you. He will not leave you or forsake you if you are willing to follow the path He has set for you. He still loves you, even when He is disappointed in you.
2. God does not call you to do this alone. He wants to fight this battle with you. He wants to be there for you when you need strength to get back up and try again. He is there to encourage you when you feel that no one else cares.
3. God cares for you, even when it feels like your parents don’t. His love does not fail, it does not waiver. Even when you are in your darkest night, He loves you. He wants to love you more than you have ever been loved.
The journey of being a girl that follows God and obeys His commands is not and will not be easy, but we have a hope, firm and secure that Christ will be there every step of the way to encourage, correct, and comfort.
Let’s pray.
Dear Lord,
I am here today to ask You to give me the strength that I need to honour my parents. Sometimes these things are hard, Lord. Lead me in the way You have chosen for me. Show me how to honour my parents (and You) when times are hard. In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Reflect - What is something you can do today to honour your parents?
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