Weâre all familiar with Ephesians 6: 1-3, âChildren obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise) that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.âWhen weâre living under our parents' roof, it is right to obey them, but as an adult, out from under the direct authority of our parents, we can struggle to understand what it means to honor them.Honoring our parents can be challenging for many reasons. Perhaps you are a faithful follower of Christ, but your parents are not. Perhaps one or both of your parents struggle with an illness that affects their mind or alters their personality.If one or both of your parents were abusive or neglectful, the thought of honoring them can seem both illogical and undeserved. And let's face it, even if we had loving, godly parents we can still struggle to understand what it means to honor them as life gets in the way.So, what does it mean to honor our parents? In my own wrestling match with this question, someone reminded me that obeying our parents when we were children had to do with action, but honoring our parents as adults has to do with our attitude.Regardless of the relationship you have with your parents, honoring them starts in your heart. I pray the following ideas will help you foster a more loving relationship with your parents and that they will recognize your outpouring of love as honor.
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