Rooted in Truth: A Devotion in the Ten CommandmentsSample

Honoring Parents

For Instruction

Our attitude towards our parents can sometimes be a revealing gauge of our attitude towards God. We might object that God is perfect and our parents are not, so our dishonor of our parents is not directed at God (we might argue). But because God has commanded us to honor our parents regardless of their worthiness, how we treat our parents in this regard does become a gauge of how we are responding to this command of the Lord. What are some specific ways that you could seek to honor your parents this week?

This command also teaches us to honor God because if He is our Father (Mal 1:6).

For Giving Thanks

If we are parents, we should be thankful that God has not made the honor our children owe us to be based on our performance! For those of us who have parents that are difficult to love and honor, we can be thankful for the promise that God attached to this commandment to help motivate and strengthen us (Eph 6:2). We must look forward to our reward. And for those of us who have parents that are easy to love and honor, we can be thankful to the Lord for the gift of such wonderful parents and the godly example they have given us.

For Confession

Confess to the Lord any bitterness, anger, lack of love that may be lurking in your heart regarding your parents. Confess any of the ways in which you have failed to give them the honor that God commands. Ask the Lord to cleanse your heart from this and to give you a heart that would honor them as an expression of your honor for Him.

For Prayer

Lord God, I ask you to give me a heart that continually honors you as my heavenly Father and that also has honor and regard for the role that you have given my parents in my life. They have not been perfect parents, but you have given them to me as you have given me to them. Help me to honor them. Help me also to be the kind of follower of Jesus who lives up to the respect and honor that parents are due so that any children I may have will find it easy to honor me as their parent.