WE HONOR HIM WHEN WE HONOR THEM
Daphne Powell
Today's Scripture: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV
Theme: When we honor our parents, we acknowledge God’s authority and His design for family.
IN THE BEGINNING: FIRST RELATIONSHIPS
Adam and Eve, the original dad and mom. From the beginning, the design of family has been mom, dad, and children. Your first relationship with anyone was probably with your mom and dad. But there are no qualifiers for being a parent. They try their hardest to be the best parents they can be. From the beginning, before you were born, your parents had a name chosen for you. They had dreams and hopes for you. They did not know if they were going to do everything right, but they knew that they would try. Do they get things wrong? Yes.
And yet the Bible tells us to honor them. “Honor your father and mother,” is part of the biblical law given to Moses by God. This is an easy thing to do when you have parents who are Jesus followers, and who instill the morals and values that Jesus preached about.
PARENTS
But what if your family’s design wasn’t one in which the parents got things right? What if they weren’t Jesus followers, and you blame them for the failings in your life? What does honor look like then? Does Jesus still want us to honor them?
Let me ask you this: When you get things wrong, does He extend grace? When you sin, does He show you mercy? When you honor your parents, you honor God.
CHILD BECOMES PARENT
When the child becomes a parent, they understand God’s love for His children so much more clearly. And if we have more than one child, we understand what it means to love them equally. The love, respect, and honor we show our parents reflects that we understand the love God has for us.
Make It Personal: My dad and mom raised me in the church; they were an example of how to worship, pray, and serve. There was food on the table. The electricity was always on; we had vacations and times of laughter and love. I honor my parents for the sacrifices they made for me and my brother. And now that I am a parent, I understand even more what honor means and how, through this relationship, I better understand the love God has for me.
Pray: Dear Lord, I pray that we show honor to our parents, not by tallying rights or wrongs. Love keeps no record of those hurts. Help us to honor them by living out our faith, as Christians who knows the Bible is His Word and obey it. Amen
Read: Ephesians 6:1-4, Colossians 3:20, Exodus 20:12, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Weekly Memory Verse:
“Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.” Proverbs 23:22, ESV