Honouring Parents
By Heath Henwood
We are promised in the scriptures, success and a long life if we honour our parents. But what does it mean to honour our parents?
Many authors discuss the ‘why’ of honouring parents, but fail to explain the ‘how’. It becomes more difficult when there are tensions and hurts in the relationship between a child, (especially adult children), and their parents.
Honouring parents is the first biblical promise that contains rewards for doing so. In fact, in has two rewards, Firstly success in life, which includes peace, joy, love, and health. It is a rewarding life. The second is to live a long life on earth, although there is a need to recognise that at times accidents do occur.
There are a number of ways to honour our parents. We are to honour them by our actions, our attitudes. Through the words we speak out and the thoughts we have.
Submitting to their authority is a challenging, yet powerful way of honouring parents. It does raise significant difficulties. Firstly, when the belief and values systems of parents and children are different. This is clarified though with a higher authority in that, we are not to obey to authority, including parents, if they instruct us do something contrary to the word of God. Thus we honour God above our parents.
Secondly, as adult children, society tells us that we have the right to make our own decisions and mistakes. The majority of parents, only want what they see as best for their children. They don’t want their children to make the same mistakes. Rather, most parents would prefer to see their children blessed.
We need to be aware of the attitudes and actions of another person, affecting your own attitudes and actions. Holding on to past hurts can burden us unnecessarily. We can honour our parents through forgiving past hurts. Most children are hurt in some way by their parents. We need to recognise that our parents are not perfect, that they make mistakes. Through forgiving them, we are lifting a burden off both their shoulders and our own.
This can be further magnified by extending mercy to our parents and regularly praying for them.
How we act in public, the things we say and the way we say them bring honour or disgrace to our parents. The way we dress and present ourselves to others reflects on our parents.
Through keeping connected with our parents, talking with them regularly, choosing to speak kindly to parents.
We can honour parents by appreciating the good things that they do. In return we can do acts of kindness.
We are promised in the scriptures, success and a long life if we honour our parents. But what does it mean to honour our parents?
Many authors discuss the ‘why’ of honouring parents, but fail to explain the ‘how’. It becomes more difficult when there are tensions and hurts in the relationship between a child, (especially adult children), and their parents.
Honouring parents is the first biblical promise that contains rewards for doing so. In fact, in has two rewards, Firstly success in life, which includes peace, joy, love, and health. It is a rewarding life. The second is to live a long life on earth, although there is a need to recognise that at times accidents do occur.
There are a number of ways to honour our parents. We are to honour them by our actions, our attitudes. Through the words we speak out and the thoughts we have.
Submitting to their authority is a challenging, yet powerful way of honouring parents. It does raise significant difficulties. Firstly, when the belief and values systems of parents and children are different. This is clarified though with a higher authority in that, we are not to obey to authority, including parents, if they instruct us do something contrary to the word of God. Thus we honour God above our parents.
Secondly, as adult children, society tells us that we have the right to make our own decisions and mistakes. The majority of parents, only want what they see as best for their children. They don’t want their children to make the same mistakes. Rather, most parents would prefer to see their children blessed.
We need to be aware of the attitudes and actions of another person, affecting your own attitudes and actions. Holding on to past hurts can burden us unnecessarily. We can honour our parents through forgiving past hurts. Most children are hurt in some way by their parents. We need to recognise that our parents are not perfect, that they make mistakes. Through forgiving them, we are lifting a burden off both their shoulders and our own.
This can be further magnified by extending mercy to our parents and regularly praying for them.
How we act in public, the things we say and the way we say them bring honour or disgrace to our parents. The way we dress and present ourselves to others reflects on our parents.
Through keeping connected with our parents, talking with them regularly, choosing to speak kindly to parents.
We can honour parents by appreciating the good things that they do. In return we can do acts of kindness.