God's commandments are rarely honored in the 21st century. Do we go beyond talking the talk with our children? Do we teach them to honor other children's fathers and mothers by our example? Do we not fear God when we undermine other children's fathers, either to the other children or in front of our own children? How many commandments are we breaking when we gossip and slander other children's fathers? What about the Golden Rule? Are we doing unto others as we would have them do to us when we criticize other parents as “too lenient”, “too legalistic”, “too worldly”, “too religious,” etc.

Every parent wants their children to honor and obey them. But what are we modeling? Have we fully and truly repented of our own youthful rebellion against our own parents? Are we committed to caring for them financially, if needed, in their old age? Are we fully honoring the marriages and parenting efforts of those around us? We think we love God, who we cannot see. But that's a vapor if we are not loving our neighbor, who we can see, as we are loving ourselves.

Querido Padre Celestial,

I confess that I often did not honor my own father and mother in my youth. I confess further that as a parent, my actions were often less than honorable. I thank You for Your mercy and grace. I thank You that the honor for father and mother are not dependent on whether it is deserved. This depends only on being made in Your image and the honor that is due to You and Your commands. Yet, help us to be honorable, so that our children are not exasperated or tempted beyond what they can bear. And help me not just to talk about Your commands with my children, but to model them, lest I be a hypocrite. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

 

All followers of Jesus are called to be salt and light by modeling God’s ways in the world. The fifth commandment is to honor your father and mother. We can promote and preserve the treasure of this command in our interactions with others. Honor the father and the mother of the children and teens you interact with, even if the parents are not Christians. The fifth commandment and its promise apply in general. And God will give wisdom to those who seek Him for how to obey this commandment while honoring Him above all.