Honor Your Parents

"Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” ‭‭Exodus 20:12

When honoring parents makes it into God’s top 10 commandments, you know it’s important to Him. Shouldn’t we treat our family members with honor? Listen, I understand it’s difficult and sometimes feels downright impossible. We have strong opinions in my family and my husband’s, especially regarding politics. Regardless of how someone else reacts, we are to respond with honor. The relationship is more important than being right; well, it should be. 

“Children are God’s love-gift; they are heaven’s generous reward. Children born to a young couple will one day rise to protect and provide for their parents. Happy will be the couple who has many of them! A household full of children will not bring shame on your name but victory when you face your enemies, for your offspring will have influence and honor to prevail on your behalf!” ‭‭Psalms ‭127:3-5‬ ‭TPT‬‬ 

Children and grandchildren truly are crowns and love-gifts. Read through Psalms 127:3-5 above and just meditate on that today and maybe this week. These verses are packed full of promises and truths, declare them over your family. Speak it out loud for you and the heavenly realm to hear. We are God’s children but so are our children and our grandchildren.  We are all one big family. However, remember those of us that are human are imperfect and fallible.  Our Father God and His Son Jesus are the only perfect ones in this family. 

When my mom died a few years back, some of her immediate family got up and spoke at her service. Each of her grandchildren brought such honor to her, as did my brother and. Mom was imperfect and fallible, but none of us mentioned any of that, that day. At her “Celebration of Life'' service (funeral), we had donuts and coffee. Mom was a diabetic and had been for over 60 years. Whenever she visited, she would bring donuts for her grandchildren. Her grandchildren were her crown from our heavenly Father. We didn’t do a lot of sweets with our kiddos so at first I gave her a lot of grief about it. Then I realized she was sharing something with them she was always denied growing up. Of course, she was older and did whatever she wanted then, including eating donuts with her grandchildren. To her, it was very special; it was to them as well. I chose to let that battle go. Mom was trying to connect with her grandchildren. You know what? It worked. Their words about her are only honorable.  What if we looked for the good in our family members and celebrated that?

“Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. ‭‭Proverbs ‭17:6‬

This week let’s make an effort to honor our parents and celebrate our children as the “love-gifts and rewards” they are. To my grandma gang out there, let’s shine up our crowns and self-check that we are honoring our parents.