5 Minutes a day / 5 Days a week

with God

Ex 20:12

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

Today's devotional (as we continue to look at the Ten Commandments) is the only commandment with a promise.

If you honor your father and mother, your days may be prolonged.
So what does it mean to honor your father and mother? Does it mean you bow down to them? Or as an adult you have to listen to and do everything they tell you to do?

No, not really. You can think of honor more as respect. Remember when we were children and we were told to respect our elders?
It's sort of the same thing, but even more then that.

To honor is not saying bad or evil things against your parents. It's lifting them up and praising them in a sense. Not because they are gods or anything like that, but because they raised you and took care of you.
Now you may not agree with the way they brought you up, but you have to remember that God gave you to your parents to raise, and they will be accountable to God for your upbringing. You are not God and you should not judge the way they brought you up, even if it wasn't correct.
God doesn't say to honor them only if they did everything right as a parent.
What if your parents are not Christian, do you still have to honor them?
Yes, but there are no restrictions on how you should honor your parents.

To honor doesn't mean you have to agree with everything they say or do.
If your parents are not Christian, but are some other religion or atheist, you don't have to follow their idea of God or their religion.
As with all things, God should always be first no matter what. He should be number one in your life, before your spouse, your children and your parents also.

So your parents may have made mistakes raising you, and may not even have taught you about God or the real God of the bible.
But you know what? You too will make mistakes as a parent. Would you want your children to love you any less because you did?

E-Mail Home Page