(Proverbs 23:22)
Honoring your mother and father is NOT a debatable issue. I realize from
the incredible amount of mail I received this week, that this series has
been a great blessing to many, and very difficult for others. For those who
have been blessed and encouraged, use it as a reinforcement of this word God
has given to us in this important area of our lives. For those who have
been challenged, even hurt by this series, let me say that I love you and
would never intentionally hurt you. Many of the things I write are
difficult, and God uses them in many ways to reach people at the exact point
of need they may have. Don't ever think it is a coincidence when you read
these Devotionals, and for those who have struggled this week, know God is
speaking to you in a very clear and loud voice.
I know from years in the ministry, through thousands of hours of counseling
people, and from an untold amount of prayer requests, many of you had very
difficult childhoods. You did not have a Godly mother or father. There may
have not been much, if any, love and nurturing. In some cases, there was even
physical and sexual abuse. The very legitimate question is "how can I honor
a mother and/or father like that?" The answer lies in taking the whole
counsel of God. I have found that when God says something in His Word over
and over, especially in the Old Testament and again in the New Testament,
He is trying to emphasize a point. Honoring your mother and father is not
just an idea, or a suggestion, it is a COMMANDMENT. It is not only a
commandment, but something God mentions all throughout His Word. He
obviously wants us to understand His feeling about this issue.
In my spiritual growth, one of the biggest problems I had was the passages
in the New Testament that told us to pray for and honor those in leadership.
That meant a Christian living in Nazi Germany was supposed to pray for and
honor Adolph Hitler. That made no sense to me at all. As one who loves the
history of the early church, I am acutely aware of the government in place
at the time these words were actually written. It was a Roman government
that was killing Christians in the most brutal ways, and doing all in its
power to wipe Christianity from the face of the earth. Yet God said to pray
for and honor those people. It made no sense. Then the Holy Spirit took me
out back one day and had a little talk with me. First, we look at time in a
much different way than God does. The Bible says a thousand years are but a
day to God. God is not limited by space and time like we are. The entire
course of human history is a blip on the radar screen compared to eternity.
Everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen, is all part of
God's plan. Why God allows certain people and nations to rise up is
something only He knows. How it works in His plan and purpose is something
we will probably never fully understand. What that means to us is simple.
We are to obey, exercise our faith in God, and trust Him. We pray for our
leaders, no matter how ungodly they may be, because God told us to. It may
not even be possible in our flesh, which is why we must call upon the
strength God gave us. It is how we pray for our enemies as God tells us to
do. It is how we forgive those who hurt us as God has told us to do. It is
the same strength Jesus Christ used to not only pray for His enemies, but
literally forgive those who nailed Him to the cross. For those who had
ungodly parents, bad parents, unloving parents, abusive parents, whatever
the case may be, honoring them IS NOT an option but a commandment.
As we close out this series, let me encourage you today. If your mother
and/or father is still alive and you have a good relationship with them,
don't neglect them. Call them, see them when you can, do special things for
them, most of all, spend some time with them. Our time with those we love
is so short even in the best case. They will be gone before you know it, so
don't take them for granted. If your mother and/or father is alive and you
haven't had that good of a relationship with them, do what you can to mend
the fences. Again, they are the only parents you will ever have, so
understand how special they are. I understand that they may not be
receptive, but that that is between them and God. You do your part, pray,
and leave it in His hands. If you have a mother and/or father that have
caused much pain in your life, you may need some Christian counseling to
help you over those hurdles. At the very least, you can pray for them.
Remember, God will supernaturally empower us to do those things He has
commanded us to do. He helps us obey Him. Tap into that power and do what
He has asked each of us to do. Once again, honoring our mother and father
is not just the right thing to do, it is something God has commanded us to
do. It is not open to debate.
I love you, care about you, and will be praying for you. I know God will do
incredible things in many lives through this 5 part series. The most
important thing we can do in this life is to be faithful and obedient
children. That is not always easy to do, but we have to try. God will
bless us when we follow Him and do it His way. My prayer is that you will take
a few minutes today to pray and ask God how you can best honor your mother
and father. He will guide you, show you the way, and supernaturally
strengthen you to make it happen. Our purpose is to serve and glorify Him
in our daily lives. Honoring our mothers and fathers is one way that we can
fulfill that purpose. Make it a high priority in your life today.
***I realize that many have not had the type of relationship with your
parents God intended. For many, this week will bring up many bad memories.
It is not an accident. For some, God wants to help you get them behind you
once and for all. For some, you may need to deal with these issues in an
ongoing counseling situation. I personally know the folks at
www.barnabus.com . They do a great job. In the past, I have led many to
their Christian Counseling services and have received nothing but good
reports about them.
