Due Respect

Honor 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)

God’s Ten Commandments are clear of what He expects and demands of His people: He, our God and Father, is to be first and foremost in our lives; He shares second place with no one and no “thing.” The first four commands express what He expects concerning trust, obedience, worship, and needful rest, leaving no room for doubt. They govern our relationship with God, our Father, who loves us, watches over us, protects us, and provides for us. We are to love Him above everyone and everything.

The six commandments that follow concern our relationship with other people. The first of those is to honor our parents—the people charged with their children’s care. They are due respect regardless of worthiness or how difficult the years of upbringing may have been. We are to honor them because they are our parents—God said to do it. Time or one’s age doesn’t limit the charge of respecting our parents; if there is breath, God expects honor. If the caregiver role reverses, the child should do everything possible to provide for the parent’s comfort and care.

To honor father and mother carries the promise of well-being and long life. Practicing obedience to God’s commands from an early age provides an environment for forming good habits and living a productive life. Disobedience opens the door for bad habits that embrace unhealthy living, sometimes shortening one’s stay here on earth. Obedience to God is a choice, but He pours out lovingkindness and mercy on those who love Him and keep His commandments for thousands of generations (Exodus 20:6). Do you love and obey God? Blessings await when you do.