Family
Honor, the command with a promise. Is honor merely an outward appearance, simply a matter of paying lip-service to someone we value as being important to us? Does God instruct us to be obedient toward our earthly parents in order to teach us how to honor our Heavenly Father? Is there a sacrifice or self-denial required in order to bring honor upon our parents? As we shall see, honor is more than a simple word requiring visible action, it is a lifestyle.
The Oxford Dictionary defines honor as a high respect or adherence to what is right or accepted conduct. While I agree with this definition, I believe that God intended for us not only to adhere to society’s accepted conduct, but also to bring about an attitude of honor in our hearts as well. The Greek word timao, as it is used in Ephesians 6:2, indicates that honor means “valuing at a price”, which would suggest that honor is much more than simple obedience to our parents. The idea is that God wants us to honor our parents beyond childhood when we become adults. He wants us to live our lives in a way that will bring honor upon our parents when they are no longer with us. Simply paying respect to ones parents only when it is visible is a disservice to them. It must also carry on through our actions in all that we do.
The Bible also teaches that through obedience to our parents the Lord is well pleased (Colossians 3:20). Our duty as children to obey our parents could be a prelude to obeying our Heavenly Father. If we can first learn to honor our earthly fathers, ultimately we will bring honor upon our Heavenly Father as well. Also, blessings are contingent upon obedience (Exodus 15:26; 20:6), and man ultimately determines his own length of life and destiny (Exodus 21:15, 17; Leviticus 20:9). Through filial obedience toward our earthly parents, and through learning to honor them in a way that is pleasing to our Lord, we can better serve God in the way that He desires.
Finally, in order to bring honor upon our parents it will require a sacrifice. As adults we can sometimes become so involved in our own lives, we tend to forget that our parents are growing older. God promised that we could enjoy long life on the earth if we honor our parents. 1 Timothy 5:8 reveals the fact that we need to plan ahead to care for our parents, and in essence repay them for a lifetime of labor.
In closing, God has revealed to us some very important facts about honor. He has provided us with parents to ultimately teach us how to serve Him, bringing honor upon the kingdom of God. We know that God sees the motives in our hearts and that our intentions should be pure. Our parents have spent a lifetime raising their children, should there be any question that God wants us to take care of them when they are elderly?
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