God’s perspective on honouring parents. Understanding the Bible.
Many would know that obeying parents is the default behaviour. I am prompted to write this post so that the light from the Bible can show the truth for improving areas of the gap.
Topics covered in this blog post are:
1. Obeying parents in the 10 commandments
2. An opportunity to please God
3 Want an ornament of Grace? Part 1 of 2
4. Want an ornament of Grace? Part 2 of 2
5. Wanting to be a wise son?
1. Obeying parents in the 10 commandments
This is the 4th commandment. Yes, it’s the 1st commandment in the 10 commandments with a promise. The commandment goes like this.
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Yes, as we obey our parents, our Lord God gives us a blessing of long life.
Throughout the Bible obeying, honouring parents is not optional, but a requirement.
Paul in the Epistle to Ephesians mentions that it’s right to obey parents, so that you have a good life, blessed long life. You can read this in Ephesians 6:1-3 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 go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.
2. An opportunity to please God
In our faith walk, we desire to please God. We desire to walk in the path that pleases Father God. We desire to do so with a joyous heart, without being double-minded.
If this is you, one certain way to please God is to obey your parents. Paul encourages us to obey our parents in all things – as this pleases God.
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)
3. Want an ornament of Grace? Part 1
Understanding Grace is important before we even desire an ornament made from it.
Grace is undeserved mercy: Many know Grace as, unmerited favour. Grace is a gift from God for people who do not deserve it – sinners. All of us being sinners, we have the benefit of receiving grace from God. We are justified by grace. By God’s grace we are justified, not because of our works, not because of anything we do. Grace is a gift from God by which we are righteous, and have eternal life. (references for this are Romans 3:24, Romans 5:15, Romans 11:5,6)
Grace as God’s Power for Life: Grace in this context is God’s power empowering us. It enables us to do good work. God’s power perfects our weakness. God’s grace gives us identity. Examining this a bit more.
God makes us abound in all Grace that we have all sufficiency in all things to do good work always. With this aspect of Grace from God, we are made perfect in our weakness. We also get identity from Grace.
These are the references 2 Corinthians 9:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9, 1 Corinthians 15:10
For those of you who do not want to lose the continuity of reading, the flow, here are the verses.
“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)
Jesus says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
“By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder [that was the effect of grace] than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)
While the understanding of Grace is unmerited favour is default, getting to know the 2nd dimension will help us understand the greater significance of ornament of Grace we are going to dwell on now.
4. Want an ornament of Grace? Part 2
Now that we have understood that Grace – is an unmerited favour of God as well as God’s Power for our life, let’s examine how we can have Grace as an ornament?
We are asked to listen to our fathers instructions and follow them through and to adhere to the teachings of our mother. As we obey parents, then this obedience will be a graceful ornament on our head and beautiful chains on our necks.
My child, listen when your father corrects you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and be a chain of honor around your neck..(Proverbs 1:8,9 Version NLT)
5. Wanting to be a wise son?
It’s not going to be easy following your fathers instructions. Often in obeying instructions there is an element of scarifying of your will. When you obey, you also recognise and honour your fathers wisdom to be superior to your current understanding.
When we obey our parents, we receive correction, instruction in a spirit of humility. All these are valued traits in God’s perspective. So as we follow these instructions, the Lord blesses us with wisdom.
A wise son hears his Dad’s instructions, receives the fathers rebuke with a sincere desire to change.
Here is the verse from Proverbs 13.
A wise son heeds his father’s instruction and correction, but a scoffer listens not to rebuke. (Proverbs 13:1 )
Before concluding, wish that in case you are a father, a parent, remember that you are also responsible in your conduct towards your children. You do not have freedom to be foolish. You ought to walk pleasing God.
You need to follow the commandments of the Lord. Here is what the Gospel says – a few verses. Shall share a post on the same. Colossians 3:21 – Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
For now, I conclude here. Be blessed in your walk in obedience to your parents. In doing so, live long, be blessed in multiple ways wearing a brilliant ornament of Grace.. May the Spirit of God guide you in the pursuit.
