Honour God...Honour Your Parents

Exodus 20:12 "Hounour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

Deuteronomy 5:16 "Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

Matthew 15:4 "For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death."

Matthew 19:19 "Honour thy father and thy mother:..."

Mark 7:10 "For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:"

Ephesians 6:2 "Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)"

I've thought a lot about this thing of children honouring their parents. I'm not talking about obeying your parents. You are to do that too....but some kids are obeying their parents and not honouring them. Obedience is outward. Honouring is inward and outward.

A close friend of mine recently had one of their children to leave home prematurely. No doubt it broke those parents' hearts. Children today don't like rules. They don't like boundaries. They think they should be able to do the same things and have the same freedoms as other children they know. When they see that they get to the point when they make it happen for themselves.

When parents are training their children up according to God's Word...they need to understand that it is for their best. Unfortunately they don't always appreciate it and they rebel. God's judgment will fall on those who rebel. They want to do things and live their life their way...not God's way.

They don't know how badly it hurts those parents and a lot of times they don't care. If they would only realize that God will bless them for honouring their parents. Our children are to live at home until they get married. God tells us in His Word that they should leave their father and mother and cleave unto their mate.

Genesis 2:24 "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Matthew 19:5 "And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?"

Mark 10:7 "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife."

Ephesians 5:31 "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh."

Seems to me that God feels quite strongly about children honouring their parents and staying at home until the day of marriage. He speaks of it enough times.

I had a discussion with Ronnie the other night about this. There was a time a few years ago that he wanted to move out and live on his own because he didn't want rules to live by. We talked to him and warned him of the consequences of stepping out of God's will and we prayed for him. He chose to stay and God blessed him. I told him that God blessed him with a wonderful soon-to-be wife. God blessed him with a house to move to and He blessed him with a pure testimony. None of these things would have come about like they did if he had stepped out of God's will and left from being under his parents authority. God honoured his obedience.

The friend of mine whose child left home prematurely will have to pray and watch him suffer some consequences. If you are a young person wanting and struggling to leave home prematurely...I'd like to encourage you to think twice and even three times before doing it. It will not only hurt your parents to do so...but it will hurt you too. Stay home and honour God by honouring your parents. He will bless you for it!!

By the way....we are to honour our parents even after we are married and out of the home. But that is a whole other post.