Read Exodus 20:12

There are but a few people that, if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be even close to where I am today. There are a few people that I owe so much to because of what they have done for me throughout my life and the monumental impact they have made in my life.

Two of those people are my parents.

God blessed me beyond measure to grow up in a house with the two of them. The life lessons they have taught, the patience they exhibited, the tears they counseled through, the laughs that were shared. While no parent is perfect, Mom and Dad have fulfilled their duty as parents in an incredible way. To this day, I still cherish the times we are able to be around one another. Now, being able to see them hold their grandkids, brings a tear to my eye because their diligence and faithfulness continues to pay off.

Outside of a few rebellious teenage years, I never really had an issue with honoring Mom and Dad. They were in positions of authority in my life and I quickly found out that life was more enjoyable when I did what they said. While we never had a ball and chain, when Mom and Dad said something, we were better off obeying it.

However, my relationship with Mom and Dad changed on March 12, 2016 when I married a Florida native named Kelly. As strange as it was, and for the first time in my life, I wasn’t “under” Mom and Dad anymore…Kelly and I were our own relationship.

Are there things that Kelly and I do that Mom and Dad wouldn’t? I’m sure.

Are there decisions Kelly and I have made that Mom and Dad would have handled differently? I’m betting so.

However, honoring Mom and Dad in this season means still loving and caring for them and continuing to respect them. While Kelly and I make our own decisions, we honor Mom and Dad by choosing to run things past them because we respect their opinion.

The elephant in the room is that not everyone has a good relationship with their parents. You may be reading this and you haven’t spoken to your parents in years and can’t bear to handle their nit-picking of every aspect of your life.

While I can’t speak directly to your situation, all I know is that there is no clause in Exodus 20:12. Regardless of your relationship with your parents, honoring them isn’t optional.

How do you do this?

How do you talk about your parents when they aren’t around? In what light do you paint them? Do you hold what they have said and done against them or have you forgiven them? Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting; it means not holding what they have said and done against them anymore. I know people who have done exactly this and they have certainly earned my respect for doing so.

In what way can you continue to honor your parents or in what way can you start today?

Jake Lawson