HOW TO KEEP THE PEACE WITH OUR PARENTS– EXODUS 20:12

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“Honour your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

1) Keep the peace with your parents

i) The Four As

 

ACCEPT

APPRECIATE

AFFIRM

(don’t) ABANDON

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”  (Prov.3:27)

ii) A word to children

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”  (Eph.6:1)

 

 

“When I was 14 my father was so ignorant I could hardly bear him, but by the time I was 21, I was amazed to see how much he had learned in 7 years.” (Mark Twain)

 

iii) A word to parents

“”Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)

 

2) Our good good Father.

(i) God understands his children

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

 

 

“The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.” (Psalm 103:8)

 

(ii) God never breaks his promises to his children

“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” (Deut.7:9)

 

(iii) God pays attention to his children

“”O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down;  you are familiar with all my ways.” (Ps.139:1-3)

(iv) God disciplines his children

“the Lord disciplines those he loves” (Hebrews 12:6)

 

3) Some “What if’s”

(i) What if you haven’t got parents?

“Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.”  (Ps.27:10)

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”  (Jn.14:18)

 

(ii) What if my parents were idiots?

 

Forgive:

• To pardon or release from punishment for a fault or offence.
• To give up anger, resentment, or the need for revenge.
• To show mercy or compassion.

 

“Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet ²³ and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶ She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸ because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” ²⁹ Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. ³⁰ At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” ³¹ “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” ³² But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³ Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:22-34)

 

Prayer: Lord God, I pray that I may know you as my Heavenly Father. Thank you that you: Listen to me. Understand me. Love me. You are faithful. And you discipline me. Forgive my failings and fill me with your Holy Spirit and love. Help me to remember that as I seek my parent’s earthly and eternal welfare, your promised blessings will come my way.  Amen.

 

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I want to know more:

• What is Christianity? 321 The Story of God, the World and You: https://youtu.be/tKyZjvK-d2M
• More on the 5th Commandment: Between Child and Parent – Honoring Father and Mother https://bible.org/seriespage/18-between-child-and-parent-honoring-father-and-mother-exodus-2012
• Books:
  • Shepherding a Child’s Heart – Tedd Tripp
  • Age of Opportunity, A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens (Paul David Tripp)