Honor

I am sentimental but not to the point where I become overly sentimental to embrace father's day as it is today. Everyone on Facebook seems to be dedicating so much to their fathers but me. It is just not a culture in my family to celebrate this day, as it is with mother's day too.

But today as I opened up God's word that led me to Ephesians 6, God captured my heart again with something I did not expect. Verse 2 to 3 found me in gratitude of my upbringing.

“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

 It took me a while to see God speaking to me about this verse as I reflected on honoring my parents. But the thing that caught my attention is that this commandment that urges us to honor our parents comes with a promise. I take promises seriously, especially what God promises. And this commandment of honoring our parents promises 2 significant things, which is some sort of benefit that is well, along with an enjoyable long life.

Even as I reflect on myself with this verse, I come to wonder how have I been honoring my parents. I had a hard time figuring this out, because I am ashamed by not being able to show forth anything about my life, in comparison to my own father whom has clearly portrayed this commandment.

I have seen how my father honored his parents. Even my grandfather has passed away many years back, it is only my grandmother that is still around and that in itself has evidence of my father obedience. The moment he told my grandmother that he became a christian and will no longer worship ancestors and idols, my father did not strayed away into a heap of radical christian-like lifestyle but instead he continued loving on my grandmother. In fact to this day my fathers love for my grandmother is ever so evident through his presence in her life. The result of this is that my grandmother is ever pleased my my father as a son and is ever more open to the fact that being a christian is a good thing. Her trust on those that call themselves followers of Christ ushers comfort and hope to her understanding of who Christians are.

Long life is such a blessing in the way that So many of my uncles have passed away, from losing their life to sickness and accidents. My father is still standing strong and has taken over as the representative of his family as the eldest living son. God has certainly blessed my father with health and however long will God allow my father to be around, I pray that I will be able to live a life that brings honor, not just to my father alone but also both my father and my mother... while they are still around.