“1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2’Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise),” – Ephesians 6:1-2 (ESV)
There are different things happening in these verses, obedience and honor. As noted in the commentary of my NIV Bible, “To obey means to do as one is tole; to honor means to respect and love.” So as a child of my earthy parents, I am to obey them and do as I am told while I am under their care, and I am to honor them with love and respect for the rest of my life.
This obedience and honor does not just go for my earthly parents. I am to obey and honor God as well. I am to obey Him by completing the tasks He has for me in this world, and I am to honor Him with love and respect continuously, regardless of where I am or the circumstances I may find myself in.
Wherever I am in life, I have a responsibility to do right by my parents, both earthly and heavenly. I am their child and it is right for me to obey and honor them. As an adult, my obedience to my earthly parents has run its course and I am now in the position of honoring them. I am to love and respect them for the work they did as guides and guardians of me while I was in their care and return that care to them for as long as they are with me. As a child of God, I am still in the position of obedient child and must do as told/instructed to bring glory to Him. I must also love and respect Him for as long as we are together, either here in this world or in heaven.
What did obedience and what does honor look like for you with regard to your earthly parents? What about your heavenly Father? What if you were to obey and honor for the rest of the time you are with both?
Trevor's Thoughts 