Honour Father and Mother

Still studying through the "issue topics" in our weekly Bible study.

Last week we touched on the word honor. I was given pause to see that the command to honor father and mother is repeated at least 6 times in God's Word. Is is rather emphatic and not conditional. No exceptions to honoring the folks. (Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Matthew 5:4, Matthew 19:19, Mark 7:10, Ephesians 6:2)

Parenthood has proved to be far more complex than I ever dreamed. It brings out the best and the worst in a person.

As a teen dreaming of husband and children, that dream never included the sleepless nights, the fighting children, the failed dinners. I never even considered that in the journey of parenthood there would be countless times of wondering if I had taken the correct discipline approach. I have often walked away wondering if I had exacted punishment fairly. There are so many times that you just don't know "who hit who first" and if the person that threw the first punch had been driven to the brink of insanity due to the endless annoyances of the other brother.....You get my point.

Having parented, although only 9 years along on this journey....it has given me all new appreciation for the job my folks did. We never outgrow this command. However, now that I am a parent, perhaps it seems all the more pertinent for me to obey and model this before my children.

The fact remains that God did us all a favor when he laid down the law to honor our parents.