How to Be the Child of a Happy Mother

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Exodus 20:12Adrian Rogers says, “Our parents are the first people we meet; if we cannot learn to love and respect our parents, then it’s obvious we cannot learn to love and respect anyone else.”Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”Honoring our parents means taking them seriously, to revere and respect them. Following God’s command to honor our parents is how we can be children of happy mothers.First, we honor them by the lives we live; we do this by obeying them when we are young.Disobedience is a grave, harmful sin; it is not a weakness, it is a wickedness. Disobedience invites the sure judgment of God. On the contrary, through obedience, we learn character and self-control; we receive God’s blessing and protection.Children are extensions of their parents; when they see their child doing something godly and worthy, it gives parents joy.Second, we honor our parents by the load we lift; we must help them, especially when they get older and need our care.In our society, people sometimes fail to care for their older parents. We must remember that our parents loved us in spite of our faults; we must love them in spite of their faults.Third, we should honor our parents by the lessons we learn.Our parents have the advantage of being further down the road of life than us. It would be wise to listen to the ones who love us and have our best interest in mind.Last of all, we honor our parents by the love we lavish upon them.We must remember what we owe them; they gave us life, their blood flows through our veins.Adrian Rogers says, “I believe that the closest thing on this Earth to the love of God is the love of parents for their children.”We are to return that love to them. When we show respect, express gratitude, heed their counsel, and live lives that honor them, we become children of a happy Heavenly Father.Apply it to your lifeDo you obey and honor our Heavenly Father, showing respect, gratitude, and love?If your parents are living, show love and respect today; if your parents have passed, give them honor and thank God for their memory.