I meant to put this one up yesterday…but things came up, so here it is.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you (Exodus 20:12).
This happens in many ways as we grow up. When we are little we honour our parents by obeying them and making good decisions. We can continue to honour them as we grow up by continuing to to make good decisions they would be proud of. When our parents reach an old age we can honour them by taking care of them, having spent our lives working hard and making good career choices so that we can have a big enough place to house them along with us when they are too infirm to be on their own. Many people think nursing homes are the best idea at this point, but why not try this first. Deep down your parents want to stay connected with you, and you can’t do that as well in a nursing home.
Some people grow up, move out, and never talk to their parents ever again…and if they do it’s never in a positive, respectful light.
Some people grow up and never leave their parent’s house to begin with.
Neither of these situations do any good in the long run, they mostly cause unnecessary tension after a while and are certainly not honouring to our parents. They want us to succeed and do as well as we can at whatever smart things we choose to do.
Conversely when we honour our parents, we also honour God who is our heavenly father at the same time. In the translation I have it says that you will live long wherever you live if you honour your parents. Certainly the quality of your relationships with your parents would get better too. And that, friends, is pretty cool.