For fifty years self-esteem philosophy has been promoting inflated self-images, telling us that we should believe we're awesome.
Then Boundaries came along in the ’90s, persuading us to exaggerate our problems, honor ourselves, and self-righteously cut off parents who don't live up to our expectations.
These philosophies are part of Satan's plans to steal, kill, and destroy, depriving both parents and adult children of huge blessings (John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:2-3).
Satan is our full-time accuser (Revelation 12:10), and he loves inspiring us to accuse and judge those whom God tells us to honor. He enjoys the deep pain caused by family betrayal.
Godly Jeremiah suffered from his family's mistreatment (Jeremiah 12:6), and Jesus warns us that family betrayal is often a part of our faith walk (Luke 21).
God is being mocked like never before in our modern culture, and 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and Romans 1:18-32 tell us that one symptom of a godless society is disrespect for parents. (See note at bottom.)
Let's reject Satan's lies and consider new ways we can honor our parents.
And if you are a parent suffering from unjust accusations, betrayal, and rejection, remember that God is your judge, not your children. Don't accept false guilt. Find your comfort in the Lord (Hebrews 12:1-3; Psalms 147:3).
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For more on this subject, see Why 25% of Parents and Adult Children Are Estranged, and the Honoring Parents Collection. I especially recommend Underestimated Command and 3 Aspects of Honoring Parents.
Note: 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and Romans 1:18-32 use the wording “disobedient to parents” when describing people who are ungodly. For adults, this refers to disobedience to God's command to honor parents. The Greek word apeithés translated as disobedient means “unbelieving, disobedient, who will not be persuaded.” When cultures decline, many people lose their natural affection for their parents, showing ingratitude and harsh judgment instead of grace and honor.
“Disobedient to parents - This expresses the idea that they did not show to parents that honor, respect, and attention which was due. This has been a crime of paganism in every age.” (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)
To better understand how this plays out in our adult lives, see Respectfully Saying No to Authority.
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