"Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." Exodus 20:12 (King James version), illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 111:10
New King James Version (NKJV)
My friends were often afraid of my father because he could be very loud. His booming voice could be mistaken for anger, but it was just the way he talked. I too was afraid of him at times. When he was angry, his anger was forceful. I feared the potential of his wrath.
My dad was a good father. He was generous in his provision for his family and his openness to strangers. He was a hard worker and a big dreamer. His penchant for traveling and having a good time was evident in the good memories I've reaped in growing up with him.
There were times when I did not show my father the respect he deserved, but down deep and in the long run I honored him and loved him. He could be a tough taskmaster, but following his house rules and his sage advice paid off. I am a better person because of who my father was and how I let him influence me.
My dad was a good father. He was generous in his provision for his family and his openness to strangers. He was a hard worker and a big dreamer. His penchant for traveling and having a good time was evident in the good memories I've reaped in growing up with him.
There were times when I did not show my father the respect he deserved, but down deep and in the long run I honored him and loved him. He could be a tough taskmaster, but following his house rules and his sage advice paid off. I am a better person because of who my father was and how I let him influence me.
The analogy here should be obvious. It's for good reason that "Honor thy parents" and "Honor God above all" take such a priority in the Ten Commandments. These aren't rules made to hinder us in any way, but they are there to help us to be better people.
God loves us and wants us to love Him back. That love for God comes in the form of honor and fear. Don't be afraid of who He is or what He can do, but be afraid of what you might do and the consequences of those actions. God does not separate himself from us, we separate ourselves from Him in our rejection of His way and disobedience to Him.
God loves us and wants us to love Him back. That love for God comes in the form of honor and fear. Don't be afraid of who He is or what He can do, but be afraid of what you might do and the consequences of those actions. God does not separate himself from us, we separate ourselves from Him in our rejection of His way and disobedience to Him.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8-10
New International Version (NIV)
