Honor Your Parents

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1

Throughout both the new and old Testaments, you see scripture about honoring both your father and mother. I want to point out a couple of things in scripture; it says to obey because it is right and pleasing to the Lord. I do not read anywhere in scripture to honor your father and mother only if you agree with them or like what they have to say.

We tell the youth that scripture is clear, you need always to obey your parents. Also, we encourage our youth that if their parents are lost, being obedient may open the door for salvation. We can not only do what is right if we like what is being said to us. In my Bible, 1 Colossians 3: 18- 25 is titled Instructions for Christian Households; verse 20 says, Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. When we obey, scripture tells us that it is pleasing to the Lord.

We have expectations at our house to listen and do on the first ask, and I know it pleases me when my children do what is asked of them, so how much more pleasing is it to God? I encourage you to Honor your parents, and that may look different for each of you. It may require you to go back and apologize for past events to mend a relationship. It may require forgiveness because your earthly parents severely hurt you in the past. I encourage you to be the light for your lost parents, which may require something of you that only God can help you with. Remember, scripture tells us that honoring our parents is right and pleasing to the Lord.

Pastor Kendra Scott