Dec. 5, 2013

Ephesians 6:   ² “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise

Paul is at his preachiest today.  I do not like Paul when he is like this, but buried in the advice for women and slaves to obey, I found this nugget.

Cool...a commandment with a promise that everything will be all right for you in the future if you follow it.  And Paul is right.  If a child grows up in a home where the parents do their jobs, and the child honors that, it is a great beginning.  We owe our children nothing less than to make this happen.  It will not happen spontaneously.  Like every human, the child has selfish desires which must be curbed for his good as well as society's.  When a child is trained to be aware of the respect which others deserve, he will be happy and productive.  That is a great beginning to raising a Christian!

Prayer:  Lord, I thank you for my Christian upbringing.  I honor my father and my mother, as well those who came before them, for providing me with a solid foundation.  I can see all the blessings which have come to me as a result of the way I was taught to honor my elders.  I pray the same for the children of today.
Amen