Have you ever thought about what “honor” as it relates to treating someone really means? Lately, I have been challenged to really search myself and the way I speak to and treat other to determine if I am being indeed honorable.

So what does “to honor someone” mean? Today I am specifically talking about honoring our parents.

To revere; to respect; to treat with deference and submission, and perform relative duties to (Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

Even as I write these words, I know what some of you may be thinking. “But you don’t know what my parents (mom or dad) have done to me?”

True I don’t know, but honoring our parents is so important that God included it in the 10 Commandments. In fact, it’s the very first commandment with a promise attached to it.

Exodus 20:12 (NCV) Honor your father and your mother so that you will live a long time in the land that the Lord your God is going to give you.

The promise attached to “if we honor our father and our mother” is that we will live long in the land the Lord is giving us. To the Israelites, this was the Promised Land, Canaan. As Christians living in this world today our Promised Land is eternity with Christ; our heavenly home (remember this earth is not our home). In Ephesians 6:1-3 (NCV) Paul writes reiterating this commandment “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Based on events of your past or present, you may think this is an impossible request because quite honestly maybe your parents aren’t that honorable themselves. But God doesn’t call us to honor those who honor us first. The commandment is clear. It says…HONOR your father and your mother. Children (of all ages) should honor (respect) their parents even if their parents are demanding, demeaning, degrading, unfair, etc. This doesn’t mean you have to like what they do or even do something contrary to God’s word. The best thing to do in this situation is PRAY….and then PRAY some more. Through prayer, you can pour out your soul to God and He will hear you.

Remember, God is sovereign and nothing gets by Him….not ONE thing. The Bible tells us that we will all stand before Him and give an account for our life.

May I challenge you today to take a look inward and ask:

1. Are you honoring your father and your mother? Honoring their memory if they are no longer walking this earth.
2. Are you honoring those in authority over you? Honoring our church leaders, our bosses, our Federal, State, and Local leaders? (this is a tough one – it’s easy to voice our opinions about what we think people should and shouldn’t be doing.)
3. Are you honoring your spouse and your children?