You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father…I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:2b,3)

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3)

Paul says the commandment to honor our parents comes with a guarantee. As we learn to bring honor to our parents, imperfections and all, then we are promised a good life as well as a lengthy one. Let’s put that promise to the test by being children who often call and write and text and stop by to love, honor, and thank our parents for all they have sacrificed for us.

Father,

You are the only Perfect Parent. So often I expect perfection from my earthly parents and am tempted towards criticism and even contempt. This is sin. I repent and ask for your forgiveness and grace. Your commandment to honor my parents carries no caveat, no contingency based on their performance as parents or based on their perfection or imperfection. I am simply to honor them. So I receive your forgiveness for the times I have failed to obey you. This commandment is one of your top ten moral laws, so it obviously carries a great deal of weight in your scheme of things. I do hereby forgive and intentionally forget each and every time they have failed me. I forgive as I have been forgiven. After all, only You are perfect.

Amen