Parental Compliance

A message to myself, and possibly everyone else....

I passed by a church and that board they have outside with the detachable letters had a very nice message: "God has 10 Commandments... not Suggestions!"

That being said, He did not merely 'suggest' that we honor our fathers and mothers... It's an actual commandment. And I think I'm beginning to see why it's number 4... Before 'You shall not kill', 'You shall not steal', etc.

I'll keep it simple. Honoring your father and mother goes beyond just obeying them, respecting them, and loving them. I mentioned in a previous blog that you represent your family, and I guess I also meant that you represent your parents. This means that they would be honored or criticized based on actions you do. I guess what I'm trying to drive at here is that if you honor your parents, you wouldn't kill, steal, bear false witness, and do those other things.

Of course, this is still commandment number four. That means that if you love the Lord, and if you do not worship any graven images, and if you do not use His name in vain, then you would naturally honor your father and mother. Notice that there's a good reason why the commandments were placed in the order that they are.

Good workers trust and honor their authorities, and are rewarded accordingly. And how could you trust and honor your authorities if you don't honor your own father and mother? How could you say that you follow the 10 commandments if you couldn't follow one?