ByParents play a very crucial role in the lives of every child. They sacrifice a lot to see their children’s well-being and deserve to be honoured, particularly when the children grow up into adulthood.
It’s unfortunate that many young adults and youth of today don’t honour their fathers and mothers for reasons such as insufficient income, busyness with work or other life activities. But I want you to understand that God is the ancient God. He was God before He created man. So when He established the commandment that “Honour your father and mother… ” (see Exodus 20:12), He knew the lasting benefit of it irrespective of time and dispensation changes. I thought this commandment was part of the laws in the Old Testament. But Paul reiterates it in Ephesians 6:2, which means that the commandment works irrespective of the Testament.
The meaning of ‘honour’ in Ephesians 6:2
The word ‘honour,’ as used in Ephesians 6:2 in relation to father and mother, means to estimate, revere or fix a value. So for you to honour your mother and father, it simply means “place a high value on their lives.” Yes, it could be that it’s not your biological parents that raised you. But whoever did that, see that person as your parent and apply this commandment to their lives.
Value your parents
There’s a price tag on anything valuable on the market. That is why some products cost more than others.
Therefore, if the Bible says, “Honour your father and mother,” then you’ve got to be responsible for their lives. It doesn’t matter whether your parents raised you well or not. It’s God’s commandment without any exceptions. How do you fulfil your honouring responsibility over your parents, especially as a working adult?
Cater for their needs
It’s true the Bible says in Proverbs 13:22 NKJV that,
“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children …”.
So by God’s divine desire, every good parent, especially the father, doesn’t need to raise his kids with the intention that they’ll take care of him in the future. Why? Because the leftover inheritance ought to be so large that even grandchildren can enjoy it.
But we live in a world where only a few parents live to this godly standard. In Africa, many people are familiarised with the norm that children are supposed to take care of their parents when they grow up. But it shouldn’t be so. My goal today isn’t to show you how flawed our world is but to present God’s command to you.
Cater for your parents’ needs, physically and financially. Don’t be so busy with work, marriage or whatever you’re doing that you don’t have even five minutes to call your parents. In your monthly budget, place them on it. You might not have much to give them. Don’t worry. Start with the little you have because there are benefits to honouring this command of God.
God is the ancient God. He was God before He created man. So when He established the commandment that “Honour your father and mother… ” (see Exodus 20:12), He knew the lasting benefit of it irrespective of time and dispensation changes.
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Two benefits of honouring your parents – Ephesians 6:3
Taking on Ephesians 6:2 again, here are the two benefits of honouring your parents.
1. That it will be well with you
I checked the meaning of “well” in the scripture. And it means “good.” So sometimes, success in life isn’t merely a function of your hard work. You can get it by obeying simple Biblical commands, such as this; honour your father and mother.
You don’t have to sweat to build everything you want in life to feel successful. There’s grace to live in high realms of impact without your sweat. And to contact one dimension of such grace, especially as a young person, give financially to your parents, as little as they demand from you.
Success in life isn’t merely a function of your hard work. You can get it by obeying simple Biblical commands, such as this; honour your father and mother.
2. That you will live long on Earth
One proven way of securing a long life is by honouring your parents, whether biological or non-biological. It works irrespective of what medicine says. But here’s a mystery.
If a man is thoughtful enough to cater for his parents’ needs, how much more is his own health? You see, spirituality doesn’t make you mentally dumb. Engage your mind to comprehend the teachings of the Word. Honour your parents, and you shall have a long life full of health.
