Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12)

Think about it. There are only ten commandments. Yet out of these ten, one entire command is given to the subject of honoring father and mother. And furthermore, this command comes first in the second half of the Commandments, where the focus shifts from our relationship with God to our relationships with others. Why is this one Commandment so important? Because all of society rests upon it. It is so vital that it is the first Commandment with promise.

What God is saying is this: society cannot long endure where children fail to honor their parents. You see, God says, “You shall not murder… not commit adultery… not steal… not bear false witness… not covet.” (Exodus 20:13-17) But before He commands any of those things, He tells us to honor father and mother. Why? The child who honors father and mother will not steal. Or kill. Or commit adultery. If we are not right with our parents, if we do not understand our parents, if we cannot love and respect our parents, how can we expect to love and respect others? Religion that does not begin at home, does not begin.

If you would honor your father and your mother, you should:

1. Obey them when you are young. “Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20) No matter what else you do, if you have a rebellious spirit toward your parents, you are not pleasing almighty God.
2. Care for them when they are old. The elderly so many times are forgotten by their children. God commands children to take care of their elderly parents. They took care of you in spite of our faults, and we must care for them now in spite of theirs. If we must feed them, they fed us. If we must sacrifice for them, they sacrificed for us. There is no more Christian duty that is more important than taking care of your parents. (1 Timothy 5: 4,8)
3. Honor them whether you are young or old. (Proverbs 30: 8) To honor your parents means to never take them lightly. You show them respect. You express gratitude for all they have done for you. You listen to their counsel. You live a godly life. And you show them love. No man or woman who dishonors father or mother ever prospers. But those who honor father and mother will experience the greatest blessings of the Lord.

May this devotion help the children be a blessing to their parents and experience the blessings of the Lord.