"Honor Your Father and Mother"
Isaiah 54:1-57:14
Ephesians 6:1-24
Psalm 70:1-5
Proverbs 24:8
"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.'" (Eph. 6:1-3)
A familiar scripture, and a few short thoughts today.
Think about this: Paul is writing this letter to the Ephesian church. Do you think he just meant for this to be read to the kids 17 and under, or do you think it was for everyone? This is one of the 10 commandments. Would God have given Moses these 10 laws, and had 10% of them only apply to children, or do you think this is a life long principle?
I believe that we are to honor our parents throughout our lives. The word "obey" often gets many hung up in this concept. "hey, I'm an adult I make my own decisions..." I think the greater principle is the word "honor".
We've now hit the stage of life where we are caring for and helping make decisions for my wife's parents. Thankfully, we have a great family that gets along, but even in the best scenario, we have to consistently remember to not do anything that would dishonor our parents. While there may be some decisions we will just have to make for Lisa's dad, we must honor him by making sure he feels like he's a part of the process. This is the right thing to do.
There's a tendency to look at the time of life where you would care for a parent as an "inconvenience". Living with that mindset is not honoring at all, and I don't know that God would be pleased. We've been working on developing the heart and the mindset that we've been given an opportunity to honor our parents.
My mother in law lived with us for 6 months. I've found that as we treated her with respect, my pre-teen daughter noticed. When we are curt or impatient, she noticed that as well. We see the fruit in how she responds to her grandparents and to us as well.
Now that my wife's mother has passed on, the commandment still remains. If your parents have already passed on, you can still honor them by the way you live. Some may have had a strained relationship with their parents, and will have to work hard to put their parents in the place of honor in their hearts, but remember the scripture: "... this is the right thing to do."
The promise is that "Things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth." Who wouldn't want that? Now, don't let your honor be self serving, but as you truly honor your parents, something happens in your heart. It's an incredible thing. If this is a change of mindset for you, be ready for unexpected blessings that will come your way as you walk in obedience to God's commands.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Showing posts with label Parents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parents. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
9.28.10 "Honor Your Father and Mother"
"Honor Your Father and Mother"
Isaiah 54:1-57:14
Ephesians 6:1-24
Psalm 70:1-5
Proverbs 24:8
"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.'" (Eph. 6:1-3)
A familiar scripture, and a few short thoughts today.
Think about this: Paul is writing this letter to the Ephesian church. Do you think he just meant for this to be read to the kids 17 and under, or do you think it was for everyone? This is one of the 10 commandments. Would God have given Moses these 10 laws, and had 10% of them only apply to children, or do you think this is a life long principle?
I believe that we are to honor our parents throughout our lives. The word "obey" often gets many hung up in this concept. "hey, I'm an adult I make my own decisions..." I think the greater principle is the word "honor".
We've now hit the stage of life where we are caring for and helping make decisions for my wife's parents. Thankfully, we have a great family that gets along, but even in that scenario, we have to remember not to do anything that would dishonor our parents. There are some decisions we will just have to make for Lisa's mom, for example, but at the same time we must honor her by making sure she feels like she's a part of the process. This is the right thing to do.
There's a tendency to look at the time of life where you would care for a parent as an "inconvenience". Living with that mindset is not honoring at all, and I don't know that God would be pleased. We've been working on developing the heart and the mindset that we've been given an opportunity to honor our parents.
My mother in law lived with us for 6 months. I've found that as we treated her with respect, my pre-teen daughter noticed. When we are curt or impatient, she noticed that as well. We see the fruit in how she responds to her grandparents and to us as well.
If your parents have already passed on, you can still honor them by the way you live. Some may have had a strained relationship with their parents, and will have to work hard to put their parents in the place of honor in their hearts, but remember the scripture: "... this is the right thing to do."
The promise is that "Things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth." Who wouldn't want that? Now, don't let your honor be self serving, but as you truly honor your parents, something happens in your heart. It's an incredible thing. If this is a change of mindset for you, be ready for unexpected blessings that will come your way as you walk in obedience to God's commands.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Isaiah 54:1-57:14
Ephesians 6:1-24
Psalm 70:1-5
Proverbs 24:8
"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.'" (Eph. 6:1-3)
A familiar scripture, and a few short thoughts today.
Think about this: Paul is writing this letter to the Ephesian church. Do you think he just meant for this to be read to the kids 17 and under, or do you think it was for everyone? This is one of the 10 commandments. Would God have given Moses these 10 laws, and had 10% of them only apply to children, or do you think this is a life long principle?
I believe that we are to honor our parents throughout our lives. The word "obey" often gets many hung up in this concept. "hey, I'm an adult I make my own decisions..." I think the greater principle is the word "honor".
We've now hit the stage of life where we are caring for and helping make decisions for my wife's parents. Thankfully, we have a great family that gets along, but even in that scenario, we have to remember not to do anything that would dishonor our parents. There are some decisions we will just have to make for Lisa's mom, for example, but at the same time we must honor her by making sure she feels like she's a part of the process. This is the right thing to do.
There's a tendency to look at the time of life where you would care for a parent as an "inconvenience". Living with that mindset is not honoring at all, and I don't know that God would be pleased. We've been working on developing the heart and the mindset that we've been given an opportunity to honor our parents.
My mother in law lived with us for 6 months. I've found that as we treated her with respect, my pre-teen daughter noticed. When we are curt or impatient, she noticed that as well. We see the fruit in how she responds to her grandparents and to us as well.
If your parents have already passed on, you can still honor them by the way you live. Some may have had a strained relationship with their parents, and will have to work hard to put their parents in the place of honor in their hearts, but remember the scripture: "... this is the right thing to do."
The promise is that "Things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth." Who wouldn't want that? Now, don't let your honor be self serving, but as you truly honor your parents, something happens in your heart. It's an incredible thing. If this is a change of mindset for you, be ready for unexpected blessings that will come your way as you walk in obedience to God's commands.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, March 29, 2010
3.29.10 "Let's Make a Deal!"
"Let's Make a Deal!"
Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32
Luke 8:22-39
Psalm 70:1-5
Proverbs 12:4
Does that title bring back memories? If so, it definitely dates you! Monte Hall used to give you the choice: Door number 1, Door number 2 or Door number 3! What amazing television that was! Now it's "Deal or No Deal!" That's another one of those shows that's the opposite of a microwave. Instead of making things go faster, it stretches 8 minutes of entertainment into an hour. Instead of 3 doors you have 25 suitcases. In that one, you're hoping that the choice you made was the one with the most cash. But you're not sure....
Well, God makes it a bit easier. There's just 2 doors: " I am giving you the choice today between God's blessing or God's curse!" (Deut. 11:26)
Um.... boy... I don't know.... I ah... blessing or curse... "we'll find out... right after this commercial break!"
"There will be blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I am giving you today, and a curse if you refuse them and worship the gods of these other nations." (v.27-28)
In this chapter Moses speaks of the family in verses 1-6. "You must love the Lord your God and obey every one of his commands. Listen! I am not talking now to your children who have never experienced the Lord's punishments or seen his greatness and his awesome power. They weren't there to see the miracles he did in Egypt..." he goes on to list the many great things God has done.
"But you have seen these mighty miracles! how carefully, then, you should obey these commandments... so that you may have the strength to go in and possess the land you are about to enter." (v.7-8)
My daughter has not had the path to Christ I have. She doesn't know about the godly home I grew up in. She doesn't know that I would find my dad praying in his office or my mom praying in her bedroom. She doesn't know that I had incredible altar experiences at camp. She doesn't know about the HUGE rapture scare I had when my parents went to dinner with the church board & I didn't know & when I called them all no one was home! (still makes me sweat to think about it!)
All she knows is what she sees in me.
I have found freedom in Christ. I have found blessing. "But beware that your hearts do not turn from God... So keep these commandments carefully in mind... Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting at home, when you are out walking, at bedtime, and before breakfast! Write them upon the doors of your houses and upon your gates, so that as long as there is sky above the earth, you and your children will enjoy the good life awaiting you in the land the Lord has promised you." (vs. 16-21)
It's up to me to put the option in front of my daughter. "Blessing, or curse". She wont choose just because I say it, she will choose based on what I live. She will be influenced and impacted by the world around her, but the power for her to live life will come as we sit around the breakfast table each morning.
Well Monte (or Howie) .... I'll take the blessing!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32
Luke 8:22-39
Psalm 70:1-5
Proverbs 12:4
Does that title bring back memories? If so, it definitely dates you! Monte Hall used to give you the choice: Door number 1, Door number 2 or Door number 3! What amazing television that was! Now it's "Deal or No Deal!" That's another one of those shows that's the opposite of a microwave. Instead of making things go faster, it stretches 8 minutes of entertainment into an hour. Instead of 3 doors you have 25 suitcases. In that one, you're hoping that the choice you made was the one with the most cash. But you're not sure....
Well, God makes it a bit easier. There's just 2 doors: " I am giving you the choice today between God's blessing or God's curse!" (Deut. 11:26)
Um.... boy... I don't know.... I ah... blessing or curse... "we'll find out... right after this commercial break!"
"There will be blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I am giving you today, and a curse if you refuse them and worship the gods of these other nations." (v.27-28)
In this chapter Moses speaks of the family in verses 1-6. "You must love the Lord your God and obey every one of his commands. Listen! I am not talking now to your children who have never experienced the Lord's punishments or seen his greatness and his awesome power. They weren't there to see the miracles he did in Egypt..." he goes on to list the many great things God has done.
"But you have seen these mighty miracles! how carefully, then, you should obey these commandments... so that you may have the strength to go in and possess the land you are about to enter." (v.7-8)
My daughter has not had the path to Christ I have. She doesn't know about the godly home I grew up in. She doesn't know that I would find my dad praying in his office or my mom praying in her bedroom. She doesn't know that I had incredible altar experiences at camp. She doesn't know about the HUGE rapture scare I had when my parents went to dinner with the church board & I didn't know & when I called them all no one was home! (still makes me sweat to think about it!)
All she knows is what she sees in me.
I have found freedom in Christ. I have found blessing. "But beware that your hearts do not turn from God... So keep these commandments carefully in mind... Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting at home, when you are out walking, at bedtime, and before breakfast! Write them upon the doors of your houses and upon your gates, so that as long as there is sky above the earth, you and your children will enjoy the good life awaiting you in the land the Lord has promised you." (vs. 16-21)
It's up to me to put the option in front of my daughter. "Blessing, or curse". She wont choose just because I say it, she will choose based on what I live. She will be influenced and impacted by the world around her, but the power for her to live life will come as we sit around the breakfast table each morning.
Well Monte (or Howie) .... I'll take the blessing!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
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