The Ten Commandments: Honor Your Parents

The Ten Commandments: Honor Your Parents

Bible Blast: Read Ephesians 6:1-4

Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

Janet has a ginormous collection of shoes. Most of the time all those fancy pieces of footwear end up in a big messy pile of sneakers, sandals, boots, and high heels in the bottom of her closet. Once in a while her nine-year-old daughter, Lucy, will take the time to organize her mom’s shoes, pairing them up and placing them in neat rows side by side. Janet doesn’t ask; Lucy just does it. It’s one way Lucy shows her mom that she loves her.

It’s great to be creative in expressing our love to our parents. Even though I’m older and have my own children now, I still enjoy showing love to my mom and dad. One of the most powerful ways we can show our parents how much we love and respect them is shown in John 14:15. In this part of the Bible, Jesus is speaking to his disciples. He said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.”

Try very hard to imagine yourself as a parent. Let’s say you’ve told your four-year-old daughter over and over again, “Do not throw your silverware when you’re done eating.” But every time she finishes her mac and cheese, she picks up her fork and launches it across the table until it finally lands in the dog’s water dish. Do you think you would feel loved or honored by your daughter’s disobedience? I know I wouldn’t. When my children disobey me, I feel sad.

According to Jesus, there’s a strong connection between “love” and “obedience.” If you love people in authority over you, and they’re asking you to do something that doesn’t go against God’s Word, you obey them. This doesn’t just apply to your parents. Your schoolteachers, pastor, grandparents, and Sunday school instructors will know that you love them if you obey and respect them.

Since Jesus said we show love to him by obeying his commandments, when we obey this fifth commandment, we’re not only honoring our parents; we’re honoring God.

Girl Gab: Mom, share a story of when you didn’t obey your parents and what the consequences were. Daughter, think of a creative way to show your mom love and respect today!