When I write on biblical parenting, I never have anyone write and tell me that some children don't deserve to be brought up “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
Whenever I share devotions about honoring parents, I have people write and tell me their parents don't deserve honor. Does this mean most parents are abusive, unsafe, and toxic as these children describe? No. It means that most of these children refuse to grow up, seek God's help, and persevere.
The
dramatic rise in parent-child estrangement isn't
because parents have become increasingly evil in the last 20 years. It's
because culture promotes selfishness and victim-hood.
But many adult children have rewritten it to say, “Honor your father and mother if they honor you, have no expectations of you, make your life easy, and live up to your standards.”
Christians must deny major elements of the gospel to dishonor parents, and they lose enormous blessings and remain spiritually weak (e.g., Romans 12:1-2; Romans 12:9-21).
Scripture speaks of this deadly trend (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Are there actual cases that require estrangement? Yes, but they're extremely rare and involve genuinely dangerous situations. And they don't account for the increasing dishonor shown to parents in our modern culture.
So let's honor God this Father's Day by honoring our fathers!
I hope these devotions will encourage you further: Do You Believe God Means What He Says? and 3 Aspects of Honoring Parents.
Please click the image below to find out more about Lies in Disguise. The half-truths fully explained in the book include half-truths used to dishonor parents.
