Honor Your Father and Mother!

One of my favorite of the Ten Commandments is: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” Exodus 20:12 New American Standard Bible (NASB).

In Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, he writes “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU AND SO THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.” Ephesians 6:1-3 NASB (emphasis in original).

Beyond respecting and obeying them as children, I believe that caring for our parents through their elder years is one of the finest, toughest, and most rewarding opportunities we have to honor them. We don’t do it for the purpose of prolonging our own days, but the importance to God of our honoring our parents is made clear by His promise of prolonging our days.

Here's to you loving your parents!