“Honor (respect, obey, care for) your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land the Lord your God gives you.” – Exodus 20:12 (AMP)

Honour for ones parents is a command that God gave to the children of Israel and He backed it up with a promise of long life; this is to show how important honour is. Honour is able to preserve a life while dishonour is able to end it. Many children today dishonour their parents knowingly without remorse and death looms over them because their actions are removing the protection over them.

The Ten Commandments started with honour for God in every sense of it but for the child, his parents have been given to him to learn to honour God. One of the reasons why many believe parents are like gods is because they are the closest to God that the child knows and, as it should be, a child must learn honour for God through his parents. Any parent who lives in dishonour towards God will not be accurately representing God to the children.

In teaching honour for parents, the Church must be careful not to teach children to blindly follow their parents even when they know that they are living contrary to the will and purpose of God. Remember, both the parents and the children were created to live in honour towards God always. But, to learn how to honour God, a child must first honour his parents. Parents give commands to the child, just like God does to every human, and so to make obeying God possible, the concept of true honour must be taught and practiced by parents.

There is a dilemma when the parents are focused on honour for them without giving regard honour for God. God wants to raise children who will honour Him but it will become impossible if parents don’t teach children how to honour with sincerity of heart. This is a responsibility every parent must fulfill in order to accurately represent God to the children. It is idolatry for any parent to want their children to honour them whilst dishonouring God in the process. Be a parent who represents God and not replace Him in the lives of their children. God is counting on you.

Reflections: Do I personally honour God? Do I point my children to honour God? Am I the reason my children dishonour God?

Confession: I am surrounded by favour, goodness and mercy and the hand of the Most High God is with me. I lack nothing and I have all I need for life and Godliness.

Related Scripture: Exodus 12

Bible Reading: Genesis 13