This weekend I will be preaching the fifth commandment in our current series at Highview: “The Perfect 10.” One of the elements I am trying to include, as a practical encouragement to adults that this message is for them too, is to have some of our church members share stories as to how they are honoring their parents in the different seasons of life. The following is one email I received from a parent in our ministry, and I thought it serves as a GREAT testimony to what the Bible says in Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and mother, that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving to you.” Want to teach your kids how to honor your authority? Honoring our own parents is a great way to start.
You always here it said there comes a time when you become the parent for your parent and they become the child. This is where I am at in my life, my mother is 86 and has Parkinsons and had a few strokes that affect her memory and balance and reasoning. There are times when you want to pull your hair out because she will ask you something over and over and you really have to be patient.
There have been a few instances where my child would say “Mom, I wouldn’t put up with that, it would get on my nerves.” What she is referring to would be when my mother would call to let me know she needs milk or bread. I will go to the store for her and the very next day she will call and say she is out of eggs. It is frustrating but I have to say OK mom. What else can you say? I tell my child yes it is frustrating, but she is my mom.
I always try and not make mom feel like I am rushing her when in the back of my mind I am thinking of all the things I need to get done. Because she lives alone I make it a point to call her everyday and tell her I love her even if I don’t get a chance to stop in. When she gets out of the house it is a major trial of your patience because she moves at a snails pace, going to the grocery with her will be over an hour for a few items.
I hope my example on how I treat my mother will influence the way my daughter will treat us in the future.
Brandon Shields 
tracyliebmann
March 24, 2009
Act honorable and you we be honored 🙂
brandonshields
March 26, 2009
Tracy,
Thanks for the comment. That’s a very good thought in general. However, what about when you have parents that have done “dishonorable” things? Are we still called to honor our parents even then? I think the answer is yes, but that could look different in every situation. We honor what’s honorable, yes, but we also honor them because in doing so we are honoring God who has put them in authority over us.
Brandon
tracyliebmann
March 24, 2009
you *will* be honored!
tracyliebmann
March 26, 2009
Yes, I believe we should always honor our parents in a “spiritual” way, yet if it is not safe for us to honor our parents in a “physical” way, we should do what is best for us. God wants us to honor ourselves, we are God’s children, God wants us to be happy and safe.
I am a grown women, I do not believe my parents have Authority over me. Yes, as a child they did and for me, that was a very scarey situation. That is why parents thinking they have authority over children can be very dangerous. People have free will, and many choose badly. Many do not do God’s will, they do their own, which often is not honorable…KWIM?