Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ep6:1-3
I was reading and going to journal on River of Life but He brought to my attention that I haven't posted a praise on the blog for a while. So after reading this lesson:
I always thought I didn't have many rules or chores as a child and wasn't disciplined often. But looking back, I realize I had a lot of expectations placed on me in terms of how to act and treat others with kindness. I always thought of myself as the "good" one in my group because my peers would call me a "goody-goody" and say I was afraid to try new things, even things like drugs etc. And I did obey most rules and expectations set by adults (at least in front of them). However, when I became a teenager, I started drinking and smoking cigarettes, but I was still considered respectful to others. I actually wish my mother had disciplined us more, but she was a single mother and worked most of the time to provide for us. In fact, my brother and I both realized that we don't ever remember being told "I love you" by her until after we had our own children and she started saying it to them. Now, of course, I know she did and does love us, and she was and still is known as a very sweet and kind lady, but for some reason, she never told us that we remember (maybe she did when we were babies and small children, but definitely not when we were school-aged). She did however teach me to be respectful and be kind to others, have gratitude and be thankful for little things.
Anyways, back to the point I was making. I always considered my actions as "not as bad as others," which I know now is wrong because sin is sin. I could have avoided a lot of trouble and "holes in my oar" if I had done what I was supposed to. I first remember repenting and saying the sinner's prayer when I was about 9 years old. I truly meant it then, but as I grew older, I drifted away from my faith for a while, going back and forth, slowly accumulating damage to my canoe and oars along the way. But even if I didn’t feel Him all the time, The Lord was always there waiting and knowing I would return, and He waited so patiently for me. 💕 He loves us more than we can imagine!
Please respect and honor your parents.
- Do what they ask: Follow their rules for curfews, chores, and how to act.
- Listen to their advice: Show them you care about what they think and what they have learned.
- Talk to them with respect: Don't use rude language or a disrespectful tone.
- Show them you're grateful: Thank them for all they do and for loving you.
- Be patient as they get older: Understand they might need more help and support.
Just as this lesson states:
Thank you, dear Hope. My mother was a teacher and when we were small and in primary school, she used to discipline us a lot, but as we grew older, her depression got worse, and she just left us alone. My relationship with my mom also got strained during this time and my rebellion towards my parents grew. While I was in school, I was what you can consider a good girl, not going to parties, drinking or smoking, I didn’t even have a boyfriend until my final year at school. But when I started to study and when I got my first job, I started to party and drink. PTL I never tried or experimented with drugs, but I did get a few “holes in my oar” during that period and my relationship with my parents just went downhill.
Looking back, I was definitely not treating them with respect and following their advice during those years of partying and I can see the devastating effect it had on my life. But now I can use my experience to teach my children about these biblical principles.