Be Kind To Your Parents

Listen to your father who begot you,And do not despise your mother when she is old.

Proverbs 23:22 (NKJV)

Many women who are reading today wince when they see these words. Maybe you grew up without a father or with one who was harsh, or cold, or cruel. Maybe you’ve always struggled with your mother. You just cannot stand to be around her. To you this proverb doesn’t sound logical or doable, at least for you in your situation. So what should we do, and how can we apply it?

My own father grew up with a dad who was a drunk. He was not mean, but he was not there. This left his family desperately poor. But it’s a credit to my dad that he chose not to be bitter. He loved his dad. Later his dad sobered up and became a kind and caring grandfather. I was blessed that my father chose to honor his father and give him a second chance.

And for those of you who have a chip on your shoulder about your mom, this proverb is the Word of God; therefore, it’s God who is looking you in the eye and saying, “Get over it.” When you’re short tempered or disdainful of your mom, it’s just plain wrong. It causes your own character to be eroded.

In Ephesians 4:32 the Lord instructs us to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (NKJV).

One final note to moms: our kids are watching and taking their cues from us. How you treat your mom or your mother-in-law, or even how you treat your ex-mother-in-law, is all a lesson to them. When we treat our family members with honor, it teaches them it’s an honor to be honorable.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Are your parents getting older? Even when we know that we are to care for them, the process can be complicated. Caring for Aging Loved Ones by Focus on the Family is a wonderful resource. Topics include burnout; physical, emotional, and mental changes in aging; medical, financial, and legal help; elder abuse; choosing a care facility; and end-of-life decisions. It looks at what the Bible says about caregiving and the keys to effectively fulfilling that role. May God bless you and give you grace.

One Year Bible Reading

Isaiah 30:12–33:9; Galatians 5:1-12; Psalm 63:1-11; Proverbs 23:22