Your Parents; Know When To And When Not To Obey Them

Today, I bring a short message to all the children of God.

I pray God will bless His Word to the happiness of our homes.

YOU OUGHT TO PLEASE YOUR PARENTS

In Philippians 2:3-4, we read,

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out, not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others".

The negative duty is: "Don't be selfish". The positive one: "Put others ahead of yourself". In other words, try to please other people rather than yourself.

I know the context, of course. This is speaking to the Church, not directly to the family. But isn't humility needed at home too? Of course it is? And what is "humility", but putting self-interest aside for the welfare of others?

Of course the Bible teaches this quite directly and often. The example of our Lord supports the case. What is God's will for us? It is to be "conformed to the image of His Son". Did our Lord, please His Father? He did. "I do always those things which please Him..."This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased". And not only His Father in Heaven our Lord pleased His earthly father too!

"He came to Nazareth and was subject to them". In body and soul.

Our Proverb suggests the same, doesn't it? It equates wisdom not with doing your own thing, whatever your parents think but in making them happy. "A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother".

13:1 is similar: "A wise son heeds his father's instructions, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke". The child who doesn't care what his parents think is a "scoffer" and to Solomon that's a very bad word. He's a "fool", a troublemaker, a criminal, and "an abomination to men". This is what a Wise Man thinks of the child who won't try to please his parents.

30:17 is even rougher: "The eye that mocks his father and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out and the young eagles will eat it". In other words, the child who doesn't care what his parents want will be severely judged.

Make no mistake about it, people: You ought to please your parents.

HOW TO PLEASE YOUR PARENTS

If your parents believe in Christ, nothing would please them more than to see you believe! "I have no greater joy than to see my children walking in the truth" wrote the Apostle. I speak to my own kids: Your mother and I want you to be saved! With all our hearts, we want you to be saved! Why don't you, sons, trust in Jesus Christ right now? Please those of us who are parents, teach your kids how to believe, trust and please God.

Parents do your children know that Jesus is the only way out? Don't make them guess. Tell them, point blank: "I want you to believe in Christ! I want it more than anything in the world! If you haven't told them that then do so now!

That's the first thing. Your parents also want you to obey them. To do what they tell you to do without arguing or looking for loopholes or putting it off or grumbling all the way. That would please them very much. Your parents want you to honor them. To speak to them with respect and to feel it in your heart. That would make them happy. Your parents want you to love your brothers and sisters. Not to boss them or to fight them or to ignore them or to tattle on them, but to love them.

My list is not complete, of course. But I know your parents want these things. As for the rest, why don't you ask them?

PLEASING YOUR PARENTS WON'T HURT YOU. IN FACT, IT WILL BE A GREAT BLESSING TO EVERYONE.

It will do you good. Most parents want what's best for their children. Thus, by pleasing them, you're doing yourself a favor, too. For example, why do you think your parents tell you to study? So they can get a bumper sticker! Of course not! They tell you to study hard because it will help you to live better in the years to come and to make a living too. It will also do your parents good too. Disobedient, sneaky, or sulking children provoke their parents to wrath. It tempts them to yell, to curse, and other bad things. Do you want to contribute to their sin? Of course you don't. Happy children give their parents a peace of mind that allows them to grow in grace. And that's very good for them.

It will make God happy. He's not pleased with fighting in the home, with defiant kids and angry parents. He wants the home to be a happy place. Which it can be if you please your parents.

One final word here: If you try to please your parents, you'll be happy when they're gone. Most of you, I suppose, will outlive your parents. When they die, you can't make things right with them. My parents are still alive and well and in my own little way I am still obedient and pleasing them. Even till today, they still advice me even though I really can do without the advice lol, but I accept the advice and appreciate them.

Now this is another dimension. IS IT EVER RIGHT NOT TO PLEASE YOUR PARENTS? Of course it is. When pleasing your parents means displeasing God, it is right not to please your parents. "We ought to obey God rather than men". If necessary, even parents must be "hated for Christ's sake". If your parents want you to sin then don't do it. If holiness breaks their hearts, then break their hearts very well.

There is another time when children may displease their parents: when our parents OVERSTEP THEIR BOUNDARY.

Now, I'm speaking to young adults here. It is hard for parents to "let go" of their children. Sometimes, they want to make decisions for them that are not theirs to make. Things like marriage and career, for example. Please, If your parents do this, you're not obliged to please them. MARRIAGE IS SOULY YOUR DECISION AND NOT THEIRS but his does not mean, however, that you may defy them, fight them or be angry with them if such issues crop up! You can never do that without blame! No matter how unreasonable they are, you must "Honor your father and mother". And What your parents should do is to support you in your marriage and back you up with solid prayers

How do you do this? Here's a start:​

1.Listen respectfully to their advice.

2.Think and pray about what they say.

3.If you choose to do otherwise, don't flaunt your decision.

A WORD TO PARENTS

If God wants your children to please you, He wants you to be easy to please. Don't nitpick everything they do; that only "provokes them to wrath". Imitate your Father in heaven who is "Merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth".

Does God pick apart everything you do? He does not! If He did, He could never be pleased with anything you do. Yet He is! Your little works are "sweet odors to Him, sacrifices well pleasing". Be this kind of parent yourself.

One last word: Remember, your children don't belong to you. Their final loyalty is to God. If He calls them to a life other than the one you hoped for, accept it with grace, and wait to see Him "Work all things together for good".

CLOSE

May God make eager to please your parents and God. May God make us parents easy to please. May He do them both "to the praise of the glory of His grace". Amen.

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