Text: Mark 7:8-13
Memory verse:
“Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honour Me I will honour, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” I Samuel 2:30
Dennis Rainey said, “Honour is an attitude accompanied by actions that say to your parents, ‘You are worthy. You have value. You are the person God sovereignly placed in my life.” Generally, honouring means showing esteem and respect to someone of superior standing. The original Hebrew word for honour means “to weigh” or “to make heavy.” Honouring our parents means attaching great worth to them and great value to our relationship. It also means to regard with great seriousness and value. The opposite is to take lightly or think lightly of one’s parents, like Ham did to Noah, Reuben to Jacob and Eli and his sons to God (Gen 9:22; Gen 35:22; 1 Sam 2:30).
Our Lord Jesus is our perfect example. He willingly obeyed His earthly parents. “Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them…” (Luke 2:51). Yet, He also honoured His parents by making provision on ground for His mother: (John 19:26-27). In the Scripture, honour goes with humility, kindness and grace ((Prov 15:33; 21:22; 11:16).
Always esteem your parents with kindness, humility, and grace, in all conditions. Even when they are not emotionally stable and undeserving, like Noah and Saul, always approach them with respect. Always keep in mind that you are not accountable for their actions, but your own reactions. To starve them of basic needs, not to care for them, to get angry, at them, lash out, speak rudely, shut them up, walk out or slam the door at them is to dishonour the status that God has given them in your life. Instead, speak with kindness, humility, respect and esteem to your aging or undeserving parents. Show them grace, even when what they say offends. Speak well of them and treat them with gentleness and dignity. This is the way to honour the work they did in raising you and to attract their blessing. You can receive grace from the Lord to do this.
Prayer points
1. Father, I receive Your grace to honour my parents even when they seem undeserving in Jesus name.
2. Father, deliver me from the temptation of being impatient with my parents in Jesus name.
Today’s declarations
1. Obedience is a matter of my conduct but honouring is my attitude.
2. I honour my parents by esteeming them highly in words, thoughts and actions.
Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng