Why Should We Honor Our Parents
God repeats truths He wants us to pay specific attention to. The command to honor our father and mother is important to God, and so it must hold a high countenance in our hearts. The relationship with our parents is so significant that it is the first earthly relationship addressed in the commandments, and its the only one to come with a blessing from God. We often question why? God is not afraid of our questions, and I believe when we struggle to understand why we must honor our parents, whether we are young or old, we can take the burden to God in confidence that He understands the difficulty we face in living out this command. When we ask Him for help, He is faithful.
How Are Christians To Supposed To Carry Out This Command
More than a list of dos and donts, the commandments tell us how to honor and worship God, which teaches us how to love and respect others, like our parents. A Christ-led life is led by Gods Word. Its by His truth, and through a prayerful relationship with Him, that we navigate the waters of this world and are able to uphold His commands. They are guardrails and life preservers, not standards we must achieve and reach. They exist out of love, to help us live life to the full. The commandments show us the way to live, the way to love our neighbor, and the way to love God with all our heart and soul, according to this article from the Gospel Coalition. Through daily prayer and time in Gods word, and by following Jesus example, we can honor our parents.
A Man Who Fathers A Wise Son Rejoices In Him
âListen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Buy the truth and do not sell itâ
wisdom, instruction and insight as well.
The father of a righteous child has great joy
a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.â
God is the one who ultimately makes us righteous and gives us wisdom. But fathers have an opportunity to participate in the process. And when a father sees that God has used him to produce righteousness and wisdom in his child, itâs something to rejoice about.
Parents often look at their children and say things like, âHow did we make such a beautiful baby?â We know that it is God who creates life, but we get to participate in the incredible process. In the same way, he uses us to produce righteousness and wisdom in our children.
Don’t Miss: What Does The Bible Say About Saving Money For Retirement
Honor Your Father And Mother
âHonor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.â
The Israelites were commanded to honor their fathers and mothers as part of their covenant with God. Dishonoring their parents dishonored God. But this isnât just an ancient commandment for the Israelites. Itâs for us too.
Paul repeats this commandment to Christians in Ephesians 6:1â3:
âChildren, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. âHonor your father and motherâ , âthat it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.ââ
And in Colossians 3:20, Paul paraphrases this commandment and connects it to our relationship with God:
âChildren, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.â
What Does The Bible Mean To Honor Your Parents
There is no question the Bible tells children of believers to honor their mom and dad. Based on the Fifth Commandment many biblical passages make this clear. In the Old Testament and other ancient cultures, honoring others was very important. To not honor and obey parents was a serious offense. Why? For one, it was an offense against God and his law. It was also an offense against the parents reputation. This was because parents and their families were intimately connected with their extended families and clans. Dishonoring parents could bring about the demise of the extended family or worse. Dishonoring parents was also against societys culture. In some circumstances, dishonoring parents brought the death penalty.
Today, we see the same thing in honor cultures. Having high regard for ones parents, elders, and others in authority is essential to the fabric of those societies. Dishonoring ones parents could bring about severe punishment or death. However, what does the Bible mean when it says children must honor their parents?
Also Check: Yeshua Hamashiach Bible Verse
Some Final Thoughts On Bible Says About Parenting
There are more Bible verses about parenting than Ive gone into here. Keep in mind that just because a particular scripture is not directly addressing parents, that doesnt mean it doesnt apply to parenting. If you stick only to verses that directly address parents, you will miss out on all that the bible has to offer you in your many roles as a parent.
Everything that applies to the role as well as every verse that talks about the other applies to parents. In all we do as Christians, we are to follow the pattern of Jesus. I didnt say it specifically above, maybe because it doesnt feel like a responsibility, but you do have a duty to love our children.
Be wary of Christian advice that doesnt sit well with you. It may be tainted by worldly influences and worries. Ask the Holy Spirit, pray, and research scripture for yourself before trying any parenting advice.
God doesnt want you to focus on a set of rigid rules, styles, or procedures. He is a Father who wants a relationship with you. He wants you to keep seeking and asking Him for his presence and guidance as you go along in life. It is only through continuous dependence on Him that you can live into your biblical role as a parent.
Do Want to Read More About This?
Bible Verses About Respecting Elders
We are to always respect our elders whether or not if its our parents. One day you will grow up and be respected by younger people just like them. Take the time to listen to their experiences and wisdom to grow in knowledge.
If you take the time to listen to them you will see that many elderly people are humorous, informative, and exciting.
Never forget to take care of your elders helping them with what they need and always be gentle showing loving kindness.
Respect your elders. They made it through school without or Wikipedia.
Ways to respect your elders
- Give elderly people your time and assistance. Visit them in nursing homes.
- No slang. Use manners when speaking to them. Dont talk to them how you would your friends.
- Listen to them. Listen to stories about their life.
- Be patient with them and be a friend.
Honor them
1. Leviticus 19:32 Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the LORD.
2. 1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the prou but gives grace to the humble.
3. Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
4. Matthew 19:19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.
What does the Bible say?
8. Job 32:4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.
Reminders
Don’t Miss: Do Not Be Afraid Bible Verses 365
The Ten Commandments/honor Your Father And Your Mother
Honor your father and your mother is one of the Ten Commandments, which are widely understood as moral imperatives by legal scholars, Jewish scholars, Catholic scholars, and Post-Reformation scholars. The Book of Exodus describes the Ten Commandments as being spoken by God to Moses, inscribed on two stone tablets by the finger of God, or written on tablets by Moses.
Honour your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you.
Exodus 20:12
In the Torah, keeping this commandment was associated with individual benefit and with the ability of the nation of Israel to remain in the land to which God was leading them. Dishonoring parents by striking or cursing them was punishable by death. In the Talmud, the commandment to honor one’s human parents is compared to honoring God. According to the prophet Malachi, God makes the analogy himself:
“The son honours his father, the slave stands in awe of his master. But if I am indeed father, where is the honour due to me? And if I am indeed master, where is the awe due to me?” says Yahweh Sabaoth to you priests who despise my name.
Malachi 1:6-8
The divine fatherhood is the source of human fatherhood. This is the foundation of the honor owed to parents. It is required by God’s commandment.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2214
Biblical Truths To Teach Your Teen About Respect
by Dan Darling on Wednesday, January 01, 2014 at 7:00 AM
We want our kids to be kids who speak with gracewho learn to love those with whom they agree and disagree. That starts by modeling it at home and by looking to some foundational scriptures that can help our teenagers learn to value other people.
It’s a tough world out there for teenagers.
The pressures of adolescence have always been a difficult crucible for young people but today it seems easier to be victimized and a perpetrator of verbal violence. Parents have an increasingly difficult job in protecting their children from bullying and raising kids who respect the unique human dignity of all people. It’s a difficult job.
But it’s possible.
Raising your teen to respect other people begins with Scripture. Here are six foundational truths every parent must instill in their children when it comes to valuing others.
You May Like: What Order To Read The Bible
The Lord Is Like A Compassionate Father To Those Who Fear Him
âAs a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear himâ
A father cares deeply about the suffering and misfortune of his children. He empathizes with them and desires to help make things right. While itâs easy to think about God as being so far removed from us that he couldnât possibly be concerned about our problems, the psalmist says that a fatherâs compassion for his children is a picture of Godâs compassion for us.
The Lord Disciplines Those He Loves
âMy son, do not despise the LORDâs discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.â
It may seem strange to think of discipline as a sign of love, but a lack of correction often comes from a lack of concern. While kids who are disciplined may wish they had more freedom from consequences, children who grow up with no rules or correction come to crave structure and even recognize it as a result of love.
The disciplined child may ask, âWhy do you even care?â And the answer is, âBecause I love you and care about your well-being, and I want the best for you.â The undisciplined child may question, âWhy donât you care?â
You May Like: Pray Unceasingly Verse
Bible Verses About Parenting Responsibilities
We are stewards, but just because we dont own our children, doesnt mean we dont have responsibility for their well-being. If its your job to care for something you dont own, then you are a manager or steward.
If your primary responsibility as a parent is to be a good steward of your children, then you need to treat the position with the reverence it is due. God has high standards for stewards and He will hold you accountable.
What does God expect from parents? Here are 3 main areas of responsibility for parents and the Bible verses to remember along with them. .
We Demonstrate Our Love For God By Loving Others
When Jesus called Peter back to ministry in John 21, how did He say that Peter could best express his love for Christ? By taking care of God’s people.
There is no separation between love of God and love of neighbor. This has always been the way of the Master, from the Old Testament connection between the horizontal and the vertical to Jesus’ call to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.
We are naturally a narcissistic people, but the gospel calls us back again and again to care for our fellow man at least as much as we care about ourselves.
Read Also: Where Your Heart Is Bible Verse
Where Does The Bible Talk About Honoring Your Mother And Father
Honor your father and mother is mentioned twice in the Old Testament and six times in the New Testament . Originally appearing in Exodus as Moses introduced the Ten Commandments to Gods people, the command is again repeated in Deuteronomy 5:16.
In ancient times, and even in some cultures today, deceased ancestors were honored. In Israel, the honor due to parents has a definitely covenant context and pertains to accepting and passing on the Torah, according to the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. It was a passing down of their faith from generation to generation.
Jesus spoke of this commandment to the Pharisees in Matthew 15:4 , and again when He spoke of commandments that prohibit wrong actions and attitudes against others. He also mentioned it when speaking about those who will inherit the kingdom of God in Matthew 19:19, and Luke 18:10.
In Ephesians 6:2, Paul emphasizes honor your father and your mother as the first commandment with a promise: so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.” When Paul wrote these words, the covenantal promise of occupying the land God had prepared for them had already come to pass. So, why would Paul repeat it? Why is it important for us, New Testament believers, to remember?
The entire Old Testament is the story of Jesus. The entire Bible points to Him, and we as His chosen and adopted people look forward to the promise of His return.
What Are The Biblical Definition And Description For Honor
The root of the Old Testament term for honor meant heavy or weighty. Depending on the context, it could mean something negative or positive. In the figurative and positive sense, it conveyed something very impressive and noteworthy. Synonyms for honor in ancient Hebrew were glorious, to glorify, and to be honorable. Again, depending on the context, honor could also mean to show very high regard, reverence, or value. So, honor is defined as, showing esteem for one deserving of respect, attention, or obedience.
The supreme level of honor is reserved for God alone . To honor God is to revere and fear Him. Only the Lord is deserving of such ultimate glory or reverent fear. True honor for God was the basis and model for honoring others, especially parents. Israel assumed parents were faithful representatives of the Lords way of life. Since revering God took precedence over all others, not even parents merit this level of honor . In fact, nowhere in the Bible are people told to revere or fear their parents.
However, those in honorable positions could lose their status. How? By failure to maintain the requirements for office. Faithlessness to God and moral failure could disqualify the person from their honored position. The Bible is clear that glory and honor without God-defined moral character was an offense to ones office and even life itself .
You May Like: Reading The Bible In Chronological Order Of Events
Painful Toxic Or Abusive Parents
We know not all parents are good. There is abuse and neglect in many households, and survivors need to maintain strict physical and emotional boundaries to stay safe and break toxic patterns. But those boundaries should be instigated with humility and respect, because even bad parents are made in the image of God . The relationship between adult child and abusive parent may be different and more distant than other examples, yet we can still be respectful. If possible, we should take steps to restore the bond, but it may be wise to do so under the guidance of a trusted counselor.
The relationship between a child and their parent is an irreplaceable one to be treasured. Our parents deserve respect and honor, even if they’ve failed us in small and large ways, because of they are creations of God and have been given a special role in our lives.
Face And Deal With The Pain They Caused
My parents both had anger issues that did me a lot of harm. I was told I was stupid and could not do anything right. I was never praised or encouraged by them while I was growing up. They believed in spankings which sometimes left me black and blue. I was often on my own and neglected as a teen. I was full of resentment and righteous indignation over the way they treated me.
How could I honor parents who had hurt me so badly? I had to face the fact that the people who were supposed to build up my self-esteem, and love and nurture me actually harmed me. I had to acknowledge it and let go of my pain to be emotionally healthy. One way I could do that was through forgiveness.
Also Check: Praying Without Ceasing Meaning