Honor

“Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."—Ephesians 6:2-3

I was blessed to be raised by godly parents. They were also raised by godly parents, so there were more generations to draw from for learning. I believe that my dad felt the burden of his leadership role more acutely than other men. He was seriously injured in a car wreck before my parents married and he wasn’t sure how long he would be able to support his family. Determination to lead in every aspect of the role of husband and father gave our family a man of integrity who lived by faith in Christ. A man whom I loved dearly and was proud to call my dad.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul exhorts children to honor their father and mother. This was one of the Ten Commandments and the first one with a promise. It is connected with one of the first things a child should learn in life. Honor your parents by obeying them. This is not only right, but it contains a two-fold promise: (1) It will be well with you, and (2) You will live long on the earth.

Obedience is an essential building block for childhood and continuing to live godly in adulthood. The commandment to honor our father and mother is important. The other commands had no promise attached to them. This is significant.

Watching my parents honor my grandparents gave me insight into this commandment. They never hesitated to show them the respect due as father and mother. No greater example could have been given to me. I only hope that I, in turn, honored them.

Each of my parents left me with memories unique to them. My dad has been gone now for 32 years. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him and something I learned from him. He hurt every day of my life but never complained. 

Happy Father’s Day in heaven, Dad.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for giving me parents and grandparents who lived their faith.