Honoring Thy Mother

I know in today’s society that what has been constituted as a mother has taken on many different identities. With this said, the title of this blog is speaking about anyone who has step into the role of a nurturer of a child or children.

What does it mean to honor your mother? Before I attempt to address this question, I believe I must address the concept of honor. According to Google dictionary, honor is high respect, esteem, a privilege, regard with great respect, fulfill (an obligation) or Keep (an agreement). For these reasons, we must honor our mother in a way that we hold her in high regard. We should be able to brag on and boast about our mother more than anyone else. At the same time, we should get great joy and pleasure in honoring our mother. You and I should be able to say without apology and with great joy, “That’s my momma and I love her just the way she is. Nobody is greater than my mother!” (Please keep this within the context that it was written, as no one is greater than God). No one should love, admire and look up to your mother more than you. Absolutely no one! Finally, honoring our mother requires us to obey, take heed and follow our mother’s commands.

The reason why God wants us to obey our mother is because He commanded us to. He said, “Children, 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 on the land” (Eph. 6:1-2). It is simple; when we dishonor our mother, we are dishonoring God. In fact, Don Wilton stated, just as we are to honor God the Father who created us, so we are to honor those who were chosen to carry out God’s plan for our life.[1]

For those of us who have not had the model mother and in some cases an abusive mother, we must still honor them. We can honor our uncaring mother by praying for her, helping her even when it is difficult, pour out our heart before the Lord on our mother’s behalf, and model Jesus for her by exercising restraint and forgive her. The Lord will help you do this.[2]

The word honor is so serious because it is part of a law and a principle that God commanded in Exodus 20:12 that has not and will not change. In other words, God will not change His mind about His commands. As a matter of fact, He cannot because when a King decree or command a thing it cannot be taken back (e.g. hitting send on a text message. Once you hit the send button, you cannot take it back). It is like the story of “Daniel and the Lions Den.” When the king put the decree out that no one should pray to any god, except him, Daniel violated the decree. The king no matter how much he did not want to put Daniel in the lion’s den had no choice because he said, “The decree stands, in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” (Daniel 6:12)

It is so important that we honor our mother because this commandment has an addendum – an attachment (a Promise). In fact, this is the first commandment with promise, which says, “That it (life) may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” God is simply saying, if we do this (honor our mother}, this will happen to us. What will happen to us? Great and awesome things will happen in our life. We will have a prosperous life. A life where we can reap the benefits. In other words, we will get to live life and life will not live us! But, on the other hand, if we chose not to honor our mother, there are consequences for our actions.

In closing, these same sentiments hold true for our fathers, grandparents as well as guardians, including spiritual parents.

[1] Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Honor Your Mother and Father, by Don Wilton, June, 3, 1013, Family, Relationships (https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/june-2013/honor-your-mother-and-your-father/) 5/20/17.

[2] Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Honor Your Mother and Father, by Don Wilton, June, 3, 1013, Family, Relationships (https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/june-2013/honor-your-mother-and-your-father/) 5/20/17.

#honor #Mother #Ephesians612 #Exodus2012 #God