Fri.’s Devo - Honoring Parents

Read Ex. 20:12 Eph. 6:1 says it this way: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour your father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.” Having just lost a parent I understand better what this commandment means. My mother and father went from being normal Christians in the late 60’s to sold-out, on-fire Christians. Their whole lives from that point and until they died, was about promoting the kingdom of God and honoring Jesus. They underwent a lot of persecution from their church and best friends to live so radically for the Lord, but the sacrifice was not close to comparing to the joy of knowing God and serving him. When we did the memorial for my mother, my husband, my three sons, one of my daughter-in-laws, and I spoke. It was such a joy to give her honor for her life. I had the perfect senario, but what if your parents don’t follow God and you are told to honor them? As parents they are a picture of God to us. They have been given this position by God and we are to honor that. They are not perfect just as so many of the kings who were to represent God were imperfect. We are to honor everyone God places in authority over us, even and especially our parents and our president. God placed them in that position and maybe, possibly, probably it is for our good. (:-D) When we obey this commandment to honor our parents we live long on this earth. Long life is our reward, especially if it is a hard thing to do. Lord, I pray for all my readers who struggle with this commandment. Show them things that their parents possess that are honorable to you, but most of all, change their hearts towards their parents and give them gracious hearts.