TODAY'S VERSE:

Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” – which is the first commandment with a promise – “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

In prep school we learned about the 10 commandments that were given to Moses by God for His people. Our verse today is a commandment that probably challenges you kids every day. Why do you think honoring your parents is so important that God listed it in these 10 rules?

As human beings we all need boundaries! If we didn’t have boundaries, we’d self-destruct! That would not be a good thing! In giving us parents as our authority growing up, God uses them to set boundaries for us. They are to use His word to guide them. God wants our parents to teach us to be humble and teachable. For this to happen, we need to submit to legitimate authority. Legitimate authority is God’s authority and the authority He gives to the people in charge of us. The first people in charge of us are our parents. They have to teach us humility as soon as we can understand right from wrong. Humility means that we are willing to listen to and obey those in authority. The opposite of humility is arrogance. Arrogance is when a person believes that he or she is better than others and knows more than others. Humility is very important for us to learn at an early age because then we will be teachable- able to learn the Word of God. God gave us each the parents He wants us to have, and HE wants us to obey our parents. He will give us His divine power to do this because He knows that we can’t rely on ourselves. We are to rely on the power of God the Holy Spirit to learn God’s Word in the Bible. With the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word in our souls, we will have what we need to learn humility! God will teach us! He will teach us to be respectful of our parents’ authority over us and to obey their directions. He will teach us to take responsibility for our actions! What a great Teacher!

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by means of the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Our enemies are Satan, the world, and our flesh. They want to tear families apart. OUCH! They know God wants the family to be a unit of authority, love, support, and encouragement. Our enemies don’t want this to happen! They know that in the family, the father is the top authority; the wife is to respect the authority of her husband; children are to obey their parents. Satan, the world, and our flesh want the husband, wife, and children to disobey legitimate authority! God, being the Top Authority, wants to build up families in His love. God’s plans are for our well being, not for our misery! He knows what is best for each one of us. We can always rely on His authority! He will guide us along the boundaries He has set for us to keep us in His plan so that we don’t self-destruct. What an awesome God we have!

Colossians 3:18-20 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.