A lifelong commitment
“Honour thy Father and thy Mother” is the fifth of the ten commandments declared by God and we can absolutely not neglect or put it aside. When parents bring a child into the world, God automatically places the lifelong responsibility upon this child to care for the parents, as well. It is the child’s duty to make sure that his or her parents live a peaceful and content life. This God-ordained commitment never ceases, throughout the child’s life.
As Christian, it is our duty to bring joy and comfort to our parents, even if this requires self-denial. We must die to self to honour and fully serve God but also die to self to serve our parents and those around us. The Lord expects that we must bring love, sympathy, kindness, respect and honour to our precious parents.
Indeed, God has placed a unique and special responsibility upon parents to provide good care to their children. Security, love, a home, food etc. On the other hand, it is the child’s duty to take care of their aged or ill parents when the unfortunate time comes, they no longer can take care of themselves. We need to make sure that our parents’ last years on earth are as peaceful and smooth as possible.
“There is no better recommendation in this world than that a child has honoured his parents, no better record in the book of heaven than that he has loves and honored father and mother”
The adventist home – Chapter 59 – The aged parents – Ellen G. white
When parents did not fuflfil their duties
The responsibility of the fifth commandment will always rest on our shoulders and will always remain. This remains true, even if the parents were unfaithful to their appointed duties and did not fulfill their tasks.
If this has happened to you dear sister, as a daughter of the Most High, let Him take care of the consequences, He will fight for you. That being said, you still need to serve and provide the best care to your parents. Express only words of love, mercy, forgiveness, kindness and compassion towards them and God will take care of the rest.
Do to others as you would have them do to you. - Luke 6:31
Entertaining a spirit of vengeance and retaliation against parents who were unjust and unloving will not bring you closer to the resemblance of Christ, and will not be beneficial to your soul.
” A true Christian will never be unkind, never under any circumstances be neglectful of his father or mother, but will heed the command, “Honour thy father and thy mother”
The adventist home – Chapter 59 – The aged parents – Ellen G. white