The power of honor

All of us have read the 10 Commandments. They are amazing and frightening at the same time. These are not recommendations—these are God’s commandments. Pretty important, right? The part that really gets to me at an emotional level is “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.’” (Deuteronomy 5:16, NKJV) Wow! It’s called the first commandment with a blessing. If we honor our moms and dads, life will be good to us.

Have you honored your mom and dad?

I have to confess I didn’t honor my dad for many years. I felt hurt, abandoned, and rejected by him. It seemed like I could never please him. Although I truly wanted his love and approval, I grew to resent and even hate him. That internal hurt, bitterness, and resentment eventually caused me to lapse into drug and alcohol abuse and depression.

In my counseling experience, I’ve discovered that unresolved feelings usually cause tremendous damage to the carrier of the offense. In my case, I felt suicidal because of the rejection I felt from my dad and the bitterness that overwhelmed me.

Have you ever felt hurt by your parents? Do you have unresolved anger towards them? Has it caused you to dishonor them? The Bible encourages us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice.” (Ephesians 4:31, NIV)

Anger and bitterness will always backfire on you. I encourage you to forgive others, release them, and let go of the pain. Forgiveness is for you and not for the people who hurt you. 

Honoring your mom and dad is not for their benefit really—it’s for yours. Ask God to help you find ways to honor your parents in spite of their behavior or past failures because you are a miracle.