The 5th Commandment

Good Morning!! This is the fifth of the Ten Commandments, and it may be considered the centerpiece of all the commandments. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God and the last six focus on social relationships. This one serves as a bridge from our focus on God, to our focus on interpersonal relationships. Honoring one's father and mother is a model to respect God,...and others. Honor is learned in the home and flows into other areas of respect for various kinds of authority. Children are to obey and honor their parents.

"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 (NIV)

Even though we are no longer called to obey after we enter adulthood and are living out on our own, our responsibility to honor them never ceases. If they treat us badly, we don't need to honor the wrong things they do, but we still need to honor them as our parents,...and show them respect. As they age, we can continue to honor our parents by checking on them regularly, by seeing that they are lovingly cared for, by visiting them, talking to them, and especially by listening to them. It is easy to get so busy with job, friends and other family and even church that we begin to neglect our parents. It is important to guard against that.

Even as we move through the various cycles of life, we have a duty to honor our parents,...with our time, our care, our prayers, and our love. 

Father God, we thank You for our parents. Help us to always honor them in our thoughts,...as well as our words and actions. In Jesus' name. Amen.

"Knowing that there are absolutes that define moral conduct, and ethical decisions, is essential for every believers life."