The Fifth Commandment

The Fifth Commandment “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 This is the first of God’s commandments with a promise as in Ephesians 6:1-3 it states “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Respect for our parents is an essential ingredient in the family structure, and is so important that God made it one of His commandments. Children must respect their parents before they can learn from them. Parents must set the example for their children, and if the children do not respect their parents they will not learn Godly values from them. If parents are doing their job, and taking the responsibility, they need to be taking, to bring up their children in the way God wants them to, the children will have respect for their parents, and will be taught right from wrong. They will grow up with the family values that God wants them to have, and ones that can be passed down from generation to generation. Parents have the responsibility to teach their children good family values, and the children have the responsibility of respecting their parents, and following their guidance and teachings. It is extremely important to have the presence of God in our homes at all times, so that our children can witness the power of God, working in a Godly family. They will see that this is a necessity, and must be a part of their own lives as well. Proverbs 22:6 states it is the responsibility of the parents to, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This is such an important scripture to follow, as parents can establish the foundation that will follow their children throughout their lives, and at the same time earn the respect that God requires. Robert W. Brock My Daily Devotional Volume Seven​ April 5