Honour your father and mother

WHAT does it mean to honour your father and mother?

The Bible is clear about how we are to treat our parents.

The fifth commandment says, “Honour 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).

This commandment, and the blessing attached to it, are repeated throughout the old and new testaments.

But what does it mean to “honour thy father and mother?” The Oxford English Dictionary says honour means “to regard with great respect or high esteem.”

It also describes honour as “something regarded as a rare opportunity and bringing pride and pleasure; a privilege.” Both of these describe what it means to honour your parents.

So, when honouring our parents, it is essential that we show them respect, accept their authority, obey them, and appreciate them.

Why is it important to honour our parents?

Jesus said: “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments… Honour your father and mother and love your neighbour as yourself ” (Matthew 19:17,19). He also said in Matthew 15:4, “For God commanded, ‘Honour your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles his father or mother must surely die.”

Proverbs 30:17 says, “The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be plucked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.”

These are some scary consequences for not honouring your parents! But why is this such a serious issue?

Why does God want us to honour our parents?

First of all, God is invested in relationships. He desired a relationship with each of us. To illustrate the structure of the relationship, He created the family. The way we respect our parents says a lot about how we show respect to God. Honouring our father and our mother teaches us how to honour our Heavenly Father better,.

Remember that others are observing the way you honour your parents and God.

Your siblings and friends will learn from your example. And someday, when you are a parent, your children will learn how to treat you by watching how you treat their grandparents.

Not only is respect for our parents important in showing respect to God, but it also teaches us respect for authority.

Tim Keller says, “It’s respect for your parents that is the basis for every other kind of respect and every other kind of authority.”

Honouring our father and mother teaches us that God has placed people in authority over us. Honouring them also teaches us how to respect that authority and be respected by those we have authority over.

Most importantly, showing honour to our parents demonstrates the love of Christ. It creates strong bonds in our families, can heal broken relationships, and helps us grow as Christians. Honouring your father and your mother can be an incredible opportunity to share the love of God.

Do we ever stop honouring our parents?

Your relationship with your parents will change as you get older.

As both you and your parents grow older, you will find that you have the privilege of caring and providing for them. Paul wrote to Timothy, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

Even as we grow into adulthood, we never stop honouring our parents.

“What if my parents do not deserve honour?”

Parents are meant to love, protect, instruct, and discipline their children. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring