“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12
Honoring my parents was easy because my parents were both good, honest, faithful Christians. I was born in 1929 during the depression so my parents did not have much money and they had six children. In spite of that, my parents provided well for us giving us music lessons and making sure that all of us had a college education, even if it meant their going into debt. My parents loved me and forgave me even when I was not as grateful as I should have been. I loved them and I tried to honor them when they were alive, and I honor them more today after they are gone.
Not all children have good parents, or even any parents, but somebody raised everybody who is an adult today. My experience of seeing that orphans in Africa have a “mama” to raise them has taught me that those who care for children should be honored. Rafiki teaches children to honor their caregivers in Rafiki Villages and in Rafiki schools. That is because Rafiki believes the Ten Commandments and teaches all ten of them to its children.
It is sad to see this commandment so often ignored in the USA today. And I wonder if children who do not honor parents will someday regret it.
The lesson I am glad I learned about honoring my parents is that now when they are gone, I have no regrets. I was living in Africa when I heard that my mother had cancer and was dying. My sweet husband agreed that we should take our savings so I could fly to Miami leaving him and my three children in Africa to go be with my mother and my daddy before she died. My mother lingered for five weeks so I stayed in Miami to be with her, but also to help my devastated father. My mother was only 67 years old. As hard as it was to be separated from my husband and my children for such a long time, I am so glad I went because I have no regrets now. I don’t have to say, “If only ---" for not doing everything I could to honor them when they needed me. And, by the way, I needed them too!
I am writing this blog from the place where I live now with many old folks. Most of them are very lonely. Some of them never have visitors. Many of them do not have their children making sure that their needs are met. I feel sorry for them, but I cannot take the place of their children.
Please make sure you honor your father and your mother (or whoever raised you) by:
Thanking them for all they did for you.
Spending time with them.
Doing whatever you can to help them.
Telling them often that you love them.
Someday you will be glad you honored your father and your mother when they were alive, and you will have no regrets when they are gone.
Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to note the number of believers who believe their father or mother is an exception to this commandment. Many are amazed that dishonering parents is listed with other behavior which is found to be repugnant by God.
"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people."
2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV
Really good post, Rosemary. I work with young people who have not had good parents. Some don't know their fathers, others were abused by them to the extreme. Really hard to speak of honor in these cases. Yet, I suppose it's the same as honoring our leaders. We are to honor them for the office they hold, even when they are dishonorable themselves. In any case, this commandment does not have an exception clause to it.
ReplyDeleteAs one among nine children in my family, we were taught to honor our parents and to treat all adults with respect. An ingredient that is sadly missing today.