Friday, August 4, 2023

Listen to the Word

Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.  (Exodus 20:12)

God gives us a proactive responsibility to honor our parents. It is interesting that eight of the Ten Commandments are worded negatively – they are “thou shalt nots” – don’t worship idols, don’t murder, don’t steal, and so on. So we would expect the Fifth Commandment to say, “Don’t dishonor your father and mother.” We could keep that command by doing nothing. But God goes further. He says, “Do honor your parents.” We can’t just avoid being rude to them, or avoid hurting them – though that would be a step in the right direction for most. We must go all the way to the point at which we actively celebrate them, appreciate them, and honor them. We must take the initiative.

Live the Word

If your parents are living, call them and brag on them today. If they are not, find some other parents to encourage and appreciate.