“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long” (Deuteronomy 5:16).
Parents are important people in God’s eyes. God Himself is a Father and that is the name Jesus used when He talked to God. That very fact shows us that God sees parenthood as a very high calling.
God, the Father, is concerned about how we treat our parents. Several times in the Bible, God stresses the importance of honoring our father and mother.
Honoring means to respect, esteem and to praise. How can we honor our parents?
One way to honor our parents is to tell them how much they mean to us. Have you ever thanked your mother and father for raising you? For feeding and educating you? For making a home for you?
This can be very hard to do if your parents have hurt your feelings. I understand that from experience. But, you can still do it. Do it because God asks you to.
Even if your parents disappoint you, try to find something to thank them for, or to praise them about. If it is really hard to remember anything like that, ask God to bring something to your mind.
I suspect that when we all get to heaven we are going to understand all the reasons for misunderstandings and hurts. We are going to see that the pain others caused us was because of ignorance on their part or else pain of their own.
Do not wait too long to thank your parents. You will not have them forever.
Kimberly Snider is a missionary to the Philippines.
From “Moments for Moms,” a free email subscription.
Copyright (c) 2003 Women’s Ministries of the Assemblies of God.
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