How am I to treat my own father?

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

Leviticus 19:3“Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the Lord your God.”

We should honor and respect our fathers.

Matthew 15:5-6“But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.”

1 Timothy 5:3-4Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.

When parents are in need, their adult children should show respect for them by caring for them.

Proverbs 19:26Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.

Proverbs 20:20If you insult your father or mother, your light will be snuffed out in total darkness.

Proverbs 30:11Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother.

We should treat our fathers and mothers with kindness, respect, and gratitude.

Proverbs 23:22-25Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old. Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment. The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise. So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.

Living a wise and godly life is the greatest gift we can give to our fathers.