FAITHteen | Issue #16

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The Real Word:
Why should I honor my mom and dad?
By Brandon Jubar

It was a concept that was sometimes hard for me to take when I was a teenager. I mean, I loved my parents and all that. But 'honor' them? That sounded too much like being a "mama's boy." When all of my friends were busy doing their own things, was I really expected to do exactly what my parents said?

"Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you." (Exod 20:12)

Call me Mr. Know-It-All

I was 15 going on adulthood, and I thought that I had all of the answers. What could my parents possibly know about growing up in this day and age? After all, times had changed since they were in high school. The lessons they learned back then may not even be applicable today!

Looking back on my days in high school, it is very clear that I didn't have all of the answers. In fact, I only had a few of them -- and most of those were wrong. Even though I felt all grown up and in control, I was far too caught-up in the daily drama of being a teenager. My hormones were going crazy, my emotions were a wild ride and most of my "logic" was anything but logical.

Who should I respect?

"Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and reject not your mother's teaching;
A graceful diadem will they be for your head; a torque for your neck." (Prov 1:8)

One thing I've come to discover is that my parents had an awful lot of wisdom and understanding to share with me. If I would have listened to (and followed) their advice -- no matter how "uncool" it seemed -- my high school years may have been a lot less chaotic.

The mistake I made, however, was equating wisdom with coolness -- thinking that if parents aren't cool, that means that they aren't wise. But nothing could be further from the truth. Parents do not have to be up on the latest trends in order to deserve respect. Nor do they have to be completely out of touch with the world. They simply need to have learned from their own experiences.

It's OK to honor

You won't always agree with your mom and dad -- but not seeing eye-to-see on certain issues doesn't justify disrespecting them. No matter what, you should take the time to hear their perspective on things, and take what they say to heart.

And regardless of what your friends might say, there is nothing wrong with paying attention to your parents. In fact, if you're not careful, you just may pick up a bit of wisdom without having to experience the hard lessons for yourself. I'd say that's an excellent reason to honor your father and mother!

Life Applications:
How would you describe your parent(s)? Up on pop culture or more out-of-touch?
When was a time that your parent(s) gave you some good advice that you didn't take?
How do you think your kids will someday describe you?

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