Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church

“Honor your father and mother, that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

How important are moms and dads? Our culture tends to undervalue the role of parents. We heap accolades on leaders in business, entertainment, politics, and academics while giving passing nods to good fathers and mothers. The Lord sees things differently. In fact, the Lord dedicates a whole commandment to fathers and mothers. More than that, he attaches a promise meant for those who honor their parents!
God blesses each of us through a variety of people. God calls Christian pastors and teachers to instruct us in God’s saving Word. God establishes governments and raises up leaders to provide law and order. However, no other representative of God has a higher calling than a Christian parent.
Do parents always realize how precious their calling is? God has entrusted parents with the care of their children. He uses parents to give their children “daily bread,” including food, clothing, shelter, love, discipline, and emotional support. God also directs parents to provide spiritual training for their children: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
Christian parents want their children to spend eternity in heaven! Christian parents bring their children to be baptized. Christian parents worship and pray with their children. Christian parents help their children walk hand in hand with Jesus. No earthly work is more important than being a Christian parent. Conversely, nothing fathers or mothers do can be pleasing to God if it causes them to neglect their sons or daughters.
There is no more God-pleasing work for children to do than to honor their parents. Many Christian young people aspire to serve the Lord in some special way. Some consider preparing for public ministry. Some dream of exciting mission experiences in faraway places. These are noble goals, but why wait to begin serving the Savior? Honor your father and mother right now! In honoring them, children honor the Lord.
Who is equal to the task of being a perfect Christian parent? Who is the perfectly obedient child? We all have failed in our roles as parents and as children. Thank God that Jesus was a perfect child. He kept the Fourth Commandment every day of his life. His perfect obedience is now ours through faith. With sins of the past forgiven, God frees us to be better parents and children each new day!

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