An Unexpected Reminder

Today as I read my (try to do) daily devotional, I was reminded of something awfully humbling.   Most of our readers and customers are parents, and it is easy to think of ourselves in the context of BEING a parent. But we are also all still children.   OUR parents' children.

I won't get too deep in this, but it is amazing how strict and direct God's instructions are for how children should treat their parents.  The Old Testament instruction is extremely harsh against children who rebel and disobey or even mock their parents (Proverbs 30:17, Exodus 21:15).  The punishment for hitting or cursing your parents was DEATH!  Wow!  And of course "honor your father and mother" is one of the ten commandments, so it is definitely something we should not take lightly.

Imagine if today's society paid any attention to the way we are supposed to treat our parents and others in authority! See, this is where I was humbled... "how WE are supposed to treat OUR parents." As a parent and someone with 17 years experience of being "an adult," I never think of myself as being a child. I am generally respectful of my parents and don't fight with them much, but if they get crazy I let them know about it and I talk to my friends about how ridiculous and unreasonable my parents are being without a second thought. When my friends tell me about the silly things their parents TELL them to do, I am the first to tell my friend not to do it because it is absurd. Shame on me!

Anyway, this was an unexpected reminder that put me in my place a little and thought that it was worth sharing. In case you are interested in the devotional that struck me, you can find it at BibleResources.org.  eLeMeNO-Pee encourages you to think about this as we go through the Christmas season and maybe practice a little bit more restraint than you want to, even if you have really difficult parents or inlaws and even if they treat you poorly or unfairly.   We are all still our parents' children and sometimes we need to be reminded of this.