Word for the day:” Today, let’s honor our parents.”
Deuteronomy 5:16 (NLT) Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then, you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
BELOVED LEADERS,
I’m completely aware that today’s message can be sensitive for many of us. However, I’m still compelled to share what’s on my heart and mind concerning our parents. Especially if you are a parent or will be a parent in the future.
Leaders do things others are not willing to do. There is a misconception that leaders get to do what they want. However, I’ve discovered leaders often find themselves doing work that no one else wants to do.
LEARN HOW TO HONOR YOUR PARENTS.
We may feel a sense of hurt in our emotions as we relate to our parents. This is true, especially if you’ve not had the best childhood experiences.
This raises some disturbing questions. How can we honor someone whose actions have been anything but honorable?
Does this mean we stay under their control and yield to their manipulations to please God?
The Bible does express, “Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you.
Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Deuteronomy 5:16).
The word honor comes from a root word meaning “Heavy”; it implies fixing a weighty value on the relationship. We are to place a high value on our parents’ role in our lives.
This does not mean, however, that they have the right to destroy our lives just because they brought us into the world.
Even Jesus said, “I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, meaning often our enemies will be right in your own household!” (Matthew 10:35-36).
As we evaluate our lives, we can honor our parents by realizing the heavy impact they have had on us.
We don’t have to let them manipulate and abuse us to please God.
But we can still choose to love them, even though we may need to set boundaries in our relationship with some of them.
OUR PARENTS ARE THE GIFTS THE LORD HAS GIVEN US; WE MUST RECOGNIZE THEM IN GOOD AND CHALLENGING TIMES.
And for those parents that we wouldn’t be where we are without them, to God be the glory. In fact, at the end of the day, I wouldn't be who I am without my parents.
My heart sentiments to my parents who’ve transitioned:
“I am so thankful for you and your guidance, even when I didn’t understand you much of the time and didn’t always appreciate your sacrifices for my life.
You have always been my greatest supporters and the wind beneath my wings.
Even though you may not be here with me now, I still sense you rooting me on in the good and challenges of my life” (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV).
Perhaps you didn't grow up with godly parents and have parents that were not so spiritual.
But I have discovered with God that you can learn some godly characteristics from parents who didn't necessarily attend church every Sunday.
God's amazing this way and can make everything work together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28 NKJV).
SPECIAL PRAYERS:
Praying for those whose parents are no longer with us in the flesh and are deeply missed in our lives.
And for those whose parents are still with us, let us take today’s message and love on them like never before.
POINT TO PONDER
If anyone reading today’s message perhaps is struggling with honoring their parents, we can best honor our parents by the way we live our lives today.
I am praying for the Lord to heal those broken parent and child relationships in this Lent season.
Reconciliation is one of the primary assignments of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Have an amazing day.
Special thanks!
Chief Encouragement Officer (CEO) James Baker, Jr. and our leadership team are especially thankful for those of you who provided financial donations and support in March 2024, by partnering with us in efforts to advance the kingdom of God in this 21st century season: Special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. David and Annette Straker, Mr. Kenneth Washington, Ms. Itholear Abbott, Mrs. Barbara Mason, Ms. Jeanette Grant, Ms. Cynthia Artis-Waiters, Ms. Michelle Winder Branch, Ms. Brenda Spoach, Ms. Angie Scraders-Murphy, Mr. Calvin Jackson, Mr. William Jones, Mr. William Buchanan, Ms. Judith Battle, Mr. William Wilson, Mrs. Angela Harrison, Ms. Sonja McRae, Mrs. Ranghill P. Walker-Philip, Ms. Gertrude Scott.
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Kingdom Blessings,