When Jesus was asked what were the two greatest commandments, He said to love God with all your heart and to love others as we love ourselves. The commandments are separated into two categories. The first four encourage us to love, honor and respect God; the latter commandments discuss how we are to be to others. All the commandments break down into what Jesus said are the two greatest, honoring God and loving others. Honoring your mother and father is a foundational commandment. If I learn how to respect and honor my parents, it will be the catalyst of how I respect others. How can I learn to respect God whom I cannot see, if I do not know how to honor my parents whom I see everyday. The main focus for this commandant is to instill in us respect and honor, not only as a child but to carry over into our adulthood. Once we learn how to respect them, we will understand the importance of respecting God and those that are over us. The state of our world today is due some to the breaking of this commandment. Over the years, we have lost what it means to honor and respect others, due to the lack of respect we have for ourselves. If we cannot respect ourselves and honor those that are over us, how can we dare say we respect and honor God. This commandment is the foundational commandment for the rest and begins at our youth. Over the generations, Satan has made it his agenda to destroy the home by decapitating the head of the home. If he can break up the family, he can break up the future of most people. Father by definition means one who instructs. Mother by definition means one who nurtures. If you take either of the two out the home, a child loses out on instruction, nurturing or both. If a child loses these key attributes needed for his survival, his experience will carry over to the next generation. This will produce a cycle of broken homes, causing many people to break the commandment of honoring their parents. Many people have perceived with their eyes the wrong example of what it means to be a man, woman, husband, wife, father or mother. If we do not see the right example, how can we follow the right way. This is why Satan keeps people plugged into the worlds view of what it means to be a man, woman, father, mother, husband or wife. This is why the state of the family is destroyed because of the millions that remain plugged into the world instead of yielding to God’s view.
When I respect you, it demonstrates the respect I have for myself. I respect myself, because I understand the meaning of life. I respect others, because I respect the meaning of life and that we all are valuable beyond the possessions we have or the money in the bank; this starts with our parents. The Bible says to honor your mother and your father so that your days maybe long upon the land. If we obey our fathers, we obey instruction; father means one who instructs. If we obey our mothers, we yield to be nurtured; mother means one who nurtures. If we do not adhere to these attributes, our lives will be lived without instruction, and we will neglect those things that keep and stabilize us. Every legitimate arena you endeavor to follow has these two qualities, instruction and nurturing. If you work for a job, they supply tools and resources to instruct you to do your job correctly. They have things in place to nurture you on that job, such as benefits and of course a paycheck. The same is in many other arenas; this is why it is important to understand what it means to honor and respect our parents. It will make our days long, because if we adhere to this commandment and apply it to our lives, it will keep us in business, athletics, ministry and relationships. Look at businesses, athletics, ministry and relationships. Can you not see the lack of respect and honor? Do you notice the disrespect displayed? See how people are corrupt in business, athletics, church and relationships. It all resorts to the lack of instruction and the lack of being nurtured. We raise our kids to be independent instead of dependant. We allow them to raise themselves, and we expect them to honor us. They know and are exposed to more than their parents. They live life independent, not needing advice, for they already googled it. They desire to test things out like drugs and sex and pursue vanity, all because their parents are too busy. How can you as parents demand respect from someone that you did not raise. How many hours do you spend with your kids versus the many hours they spend plugged into video games, the internet, television, talk shows and chat rooms? The system is off track and Satan loves it. He provokes parents to provide naturally but never to provide spiritually, emotionally, or mentally. Most of a child’s decisions come from the last two, not the first one. They make choices off of their emotions that derived from a deprived spirit and a tormented mind. We cannot blame the child, we have to blame the parents. From the moment you opened your legs until now, your priorities should have shifted to handle your responsibility, your child. You are to instruct and nurture, not the world. Our priorities are off, from the child to the adults. We love to indulge in things that do not have any meaning instead of focusing on those things that do have meaning. Harmony and unity are powerful. When a band is in one harmony, all the pieces join to make one beautiful sound. When a group of people join in unity, they spark change. If we respect others, we as a human race can join an defeat the evil that is aimed at us. When we join together, we build stable and lasting bonds that cannot be broken. When we respect others, we show them that we respect life. Imagine where our world would be today, if we influenced others to unplugged from the world’s system and to honor each other. From this point on, let us respect and honor others. I know many of us grew up in homes without mothers or fathers, and many of us grew up with parents that were not good mothers or fathers. But one thing we do have is a good heavenly father, who fills every void. The bible is the tool used to bridge the gaps that are in our lives. His word is there to help you to understand who you are, so you can understand others. With understanding comes respect. See people for who they are and not for what they have, for they themselves are more valuable then what they have. They have something much more than earthly value and that is eternal value.
