Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”
At 16 years-old I wandered through school days, tried to text friends planning times to hang out, and always ended up spending my Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sundays with good ol’ mom and dad. Friends were tough to come by. Maybe that’s just my high school experience or maybe that’s you right now too; spending your weekend with your parents wondering why everyone else makes friends so easily.
To be honest, everyone thought my mom and dad were my best friends, but if I’m honest, we fought… a lot. I loved them but I’m not quite sure I honored them to the best of my abilities.
Why is it that during our formative years as teenagers our relationship with our parents can become so far from what it’s meant to be? We feel annoyed with them or pressured by them. We get irritated with the smallest things they do or question if they really love us because of the decisions they make for us.
Here’s the deal. If our fathers and mothers love Jesus and are pursuing the heart of God, we can trust that they’re building us up daily to also live a life filled to the brim with loving Jesus and pursuing the heart of God. They’ve lived longer and have more wisdom. I know you probably hear that and cringe a little. Those words don’t help, but there’s truth in them. I know it’s crazy to think, but your mom was 16 years-old before and same with your dad. They were once 16 and just as indifferent about their parents as you are with them.
Today, ask Jesus in your quiet time what it would look like to start seeing your mom and dad in a new fresh light. Ask how you can best obey and honor them today. Start with baby steps. Finding ways to obey and honor them today will easily bleed into tomorrow and so on and so forth.