I Love You Mom and Dad
I Love You Mom and Dad
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” – Exodus 20:12
God provides for us and cares for us and He typically does this through His creation. One of the best examples of this is parents. Through a child’s mother and father, God provides food and shelter. He gives comfort and nurturing. He teaches and admonishes. Because of this God has given parents a special place of honor.
As children (even adult children), we are to honor our parents. This means we are to love them, treat them with respect, listen to them, and obey them. This isn’t always easy, but it is good for us and for society. This honoring comes with a promise as Paul points out in Ephesians 6.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for 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 enjoy long life on the earth.'” – Ephesians 6:1-3
There are both spiritual and earthly aspects of this blessing. On the one hand, God promises to bless us as we honor our parents. That is the spiritual aspect of the blessing.
We also see several practical earthly blessings. These include gaining wisdom for life, having an orderly society, and (hopefully) learning about Jesus and being raised in the faith as we grow up.
To be sure, parents aren’t perfect. Paul even recognizes this in Ephesians as he immediately follows the previous passage with, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Our parent’s sins can, at times, make it more difficult to honor them, but their sin doesn’t change the command for us to honor them. Yes, there may be times when we can’t fully obey them if they demand something against God’s Word, but we can still show love and respect and give forgiveness. That love, respect, and forgiveness can lead to opportunities for restored relationships and the opportunity to share Christ.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for my parents. Help me to love and honor them. Help me to forgive them when they sin.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
