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Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Guest Writer: Lillian Howard on Fear’s Paralyzation

Posted on October 22, 2018

I’ve been thinking about how our Digging Deep  study, Authority, is not for the fearful. I have already been called on to do some major self-examination and ready myself for submission in important ways that I have been tempted to ignore.  Recently while speaking in the state of Missouri, I met Lillian Howard. Lilly is still in high school, but she has her own personal arsenal of written defensive missiles against our great spiritual enemy. Listen to her words (and the Lord’s) about the danger of our own fear, specifically about how our fears  can make us ashamed of our Lord. They are convicting. Here’s Lillian:

In Revelation 21:8, God gives us one of several lists telling of those who will not enter Heaven. It has such people as the unbelievers, murderers, and liars. But it is the first one that really catches my attention. Fearful.

In this verse, fearful means timid or cowardly. Cowardice is succumbing to fear. Cowards will be kept out of Heaven. But why? Obviously because God said so, but why did he say so? I think we understand why most of these others are wrong. If you don’t believe, you can’t even begin to do anything else God commands us. Murder is the unlawful taking of a life, made in the image of God. And lying breaks down trust and our influence. But what does cowardice do that makes it so serious?

First, succumbing to fear can make us ashamed.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord… 2 Timothy 1:7-8

For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory… Luke 9:26

But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven. Matthew 10:33

Clearly, being ashamed of the one who died for us is a serious matter, as is being ashamed of his gospel. It is, after all, the power that saves us, Romans 1:16.

Second, fear can keep us from doing what we know is right. Remember Esther? She had the chance to save her entire race from annihilation. But she was scared. It could cost her her life. In a nutshell, Mordecai told her, opportunity + ability = obligation. It’s not as though she didn’t have a choice. But cowardice would have cost her and her family immensely, Esther 4:14.

We are given a similar command in James 4:17-

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Next time: What Can We Do about Fear?

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Guest Writer, Grace Yocum: Others Down/Self Up?

Posted on May 21, 2018

(Grace is 12 years old. She speaks with clarity about a temptation faced by many young teens. In fact, maybe we should all examine ourselves to be sure we approach relationships with humility. Edited by Cindy Colley)

Have you ever met someone who thinks she is just very cool; perhaps a “popular girl”? Did you feel like you were less important and left out? If you have, then maybe you didn’t have feelings of love towards this person. You may have even reacted by putting her down with your words or actions, or even spread an ugly rumor about her so that she wouldn’t be liked by as many people. Maybe you thought this would make you feel more important. Maybe if that person wasn’t so cool and popular, you would have a better chance at being cool and popular. Maybe you were jealous of this person, and put her down to “lift yourself up” or feel better about yourself. Unfortunately many around have us fallen into this bad habit. Do not be tricked into thinking that this is okay, because it is not. Ecclesiastes 12:14 says, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” This means that if you make bad decisions with your words and actions towards your neighbors, God will judge you by all of your actions, good or bad. Further, you and I should always think of the golden rule! When you think about treating someone badly, you should think again. 

Strong Christians don’t put others down; they lift them up. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians five, verse eleven, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up….”  When you encourage others you feel much better about yourself than when you are putting others down. Insecure people have to make excuses and put others down to feel confident; but confidence isn’t walking into a room with your nose in the air and thinking you are better than everyone else. It’s walking into a room and not having to compare yourself to anyone in the first place. It makes God happy when you help other people, and it makes the devil happy when you discourage people. So instead of putting people down for being cool or popular, maybe you should figure out what is wrong in your own life that makes you need to put them down. Exactly what is it about yourself that makes you insecure? Be an encourager! It is far more effective to be a person who encourages others than it is to spend your time criticizing, ridiculing, and finding  flaws. Not only will you feel better about yourself for being a force for good, but you’ll be making a positive difference in people’s lives. Refuse to put people down. Refuse to do to others what you wouldn’t like done to you. Help people live their lives in a positive way by encouraging more of what you’d like to see in the world. Lift people up and raise their spirits. Make friends; not enemies. Be kind. Be encouraging. Be honest. Inspire others to live with integrity, and lead by example. 

You can be confident without wanting to be better or thinking you are better than everyone else! Putting others down shines a very bright and unflattering light on your character, or lack of such. Philippians two, verse three, says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” 

If you have an humble character, then most likely you won’t have the temptation to put others down.  C.S. Lewis once wisely said “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” Colossians 3:12 tells us to clothe ourselves with humility. We need to realize that we can still be happy and confident even if we don’t try to get a “one-up.”

We are always responsible for our actions, no matter how we feel. The next time you find yourself in a situation where you want to discourage someone, think of what God has told you to do with your words and actions, and remember that you need to encourage others and think of yourself less. 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Guest Writer: Terica Turner–So Glad!

Posted on April 26, 2018

I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The apostle Peter believed it also (Matthew 16:16) And Jesus affirmed that Him being the Christ is a rock on which we all can stand (Matt. 16:18). It’s on that rock – the truth that Jesus is Christ – that He built His church. 

I’m so glad that Jesus is Lord, for when all else fails, when all other hope is lost, hope that is anchored in Him does not return empty (Hebrews 6:19). I’m also glad to be a member of His church – the one that He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). I’m so humbled and blessed to call Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Because He is Lord, I have hope – and you can, too.

Life at many times can get difficult and sometimes may seem unbearable. We need an assurance, a steady foundation to see us through the trials that we face. Those who follow Christ are aware of this. “We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4: 8-9). 

“Therefore we do not give up; even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4: 16)..

You can have the same blessings, be a member of that same church, and have that same blessed hope that anchors the soul. Jesus can be your Lord and Savior. If you believe that He is the Christ, confess Him before men. Jesus said that whoever confesses Him before men, He will also confess before the Father in heaven, and whoever denies Him before men, He will also deny before the Father (Matthew 10:32- 33). You must also repent for the forgiveness of your sins (Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38), “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Then, you must be baptized in a watery grave and rise to newness of life in Christ (Romans 6:3, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38). Once you have believed and laid hold on that one faith, obeyed that one baptism, and confessed the One Lord, then Christ will add you to that one church for which he died, which is His body (Ephesians 4:5 – 6, Acts 2:47). Don’t you want that hope – the hope of an eternal home of the soul with Jesus Christ the Lord? Let’s get to heaven.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Guest Writer: Terica Turner– on the Value of YOU!

Posted on March 1, 2018

At the ripe age of 34, with years of lessons learned, I’ve begun to take a different look at the command of Titus 2:3-4 where older women are instructed to teach what is good so that they may encourage the younger women. While I may be considered relatively young and I wouldn’t dare claim to be as insightful as my wise Christian mentors, I am still older than someone and I’m not exempt from the command. To add to that motivation, I have five young nieces (and a nephew) whom I love dearly, and if I could impart just one thing to them today, it would be this: Know your worth!

I want them to always recognize their value in God’s sight; to see themselves through the eyes of the Lord, and to never allow anyone to make them feel, think or or behave differently than what’s demanded by the worth assigned to their precious lives by God, Himself. I want the same for your nieces (and nephews), for your daughters, for your granddaughters—and for you!

God has declared that we are remarkably and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).While we were formless in our mothers’ wombs, He knew every single thing about us—even each day we would live (vs.13-16). Doesn’t that make you feel special? Before I was born, God was thinking about and planning for my life. That speaks volumes to me. God, the Creator and Maker of the earth, thinks that I am special. What He did, when I was born. was infinitely more than knitting a blanket for a baby shower. He knit ME together in the womb, and then, He went further and planned out all of my days before they even began. God really cares for me. I am important to Him.Your life has great significance to Him, too. As Christian women, we are part of the royal family of God (I Peter 2:9). You and I are queens and and God has promised us a crown (James 1:12). I like to imagine myself walking around wearing mine. It helps me remember that I am royalty. I hope that you know—that you really believe with all of your heart —the same thing and that you will teach it to the younger women in your lives.

We were bought at an expensive price (I Corinthians 7:23): our Lord and Savior’s life. It can, at times, be a difficult concept to grasp. I have grappled with realizing, for myself, my true worth for years and have had to see many-a-therapist for resulting and relating issues. A dear counselor has always said to me that our worth is like a cake. We get the full cake from God. What people contribute is only icing. Whether or not people compliment us, whether or not they are polite to us, whether or not they treat us as respected fellow human beings—none of this dilutes the strength of our significance, because we still have the whole cake. We don’t need icing; our esteem comes from God.

It is crucial that we understand that we are worthy of respect because there are many evil forces set out to deplete us of our vitality. Let’s not allow anyone a foothold to strip us away from the royal family. The influences in our world that are a threat to the realization of our worth are many and ever-present. I can attest to it. There were events in my childhood that have eaten away at my own confidence and sense of self worth. Even still, as an adult, I struggle with rejection that I experienced during my formative years.

So, while I’m no expert on psychology, I am very well acquainted with hardships and challenges. Through all of my troubles, my trust is still anchored in the Lord. I still recognize the value assigned to me and to you by Jesus. That’s because I know that true worth is found in God. He cares for the sparrows and He cares for you and me (Matthew 10:31). Like the apostle Paul admonished in Romans eight: “In all these things, we are more than victorious, through Him who loved us, (verse 37). I know who I am and to Whom I belong. My feet are firmly planted on the Rock (Psalm 18:2).

So here’s what I have learned the hard way, so maybe you can have an easier tutorial for life:

  1. Remember that you’re royalty—a queen! Don’t ever forget it. Put Post-its on your mirror if it helps to remind you.
  2. When you are feeling down, discouraged, or stressed, surround yourself with Christian friends and mentors who can encourage you and pray with and for you. The enemy loves to use those times when we are most vulnerable as opportunities to ensnare us and steal our crowns (John 10:10).
  3. Don’t yield to the temptation to seek assurance from worldly things like drinking socially, overindulging in food, engaging in immoral sex and associating with ungodly people (Galatians 5:19-26).
  4. Study and meditate on the Word of God every chance you get. It will build  your spiritual muscles and secure for you a long (eternal) and prosperous life (Deut. 6:1-9).
  5. Show love and compassion to each other. Help each other feel valued. This will in turn demonstrate your own worth. Paul said it best in Philippians two, verses three and four: “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility, consider others as more important than yourselves.” Everyone should look out, not only for his own interests, but also for the best interests of others.
  6. Always behave in a way that’s befitting of your crown. “For there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not to me only, but to all those who love His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

I cannot stress enough how important it is to remember and demonstrate the extraordinary value that God has placed on your life. Keep your feet firmly planted on the Rock of Ages, walk with your head held high, and don’t drop your crown!

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Sister to Sister: Orphans Among Us

Posted on September 22, 2016
soccer-mom-1The following is an excerpt from a letter I received from a young Christian sister this week. Small editions have been made for clarity and anonymity. I want to thank this sister for giving me a bit of a picture of the struggles and needs of young mothers raised outside the body. Can you help? I know, if you are an older woman in Christ, you can. But WILL you? Here’s the excerpt:
In Bible Class this morning I was shaken up.
One of our congregations ministers  filled in for our class today and talked about Titus 2. The class was mostly older retired men and women.
He was brave enough to ask questions that made it clear God EXPECTS the older to teach the younger which is not only teens but for those in their 50s to mentor those in their 20s and 30s. He called many in that audience to step up to the plate. 
His wife commented and talked about how an older Christian man impacted her and she cried thinking of how he was more to her life than her physical grandfather.
I was especially moved by the wisdom of God because I, personally, have sought older Christian women and, although it’s only two or three women, I have made them the mothers in Christ that I need in order to raise my children in God’s ways and love my husband as God expects; to keep going when I feel defeated and to be my  hope when I do not know if I can persevere. 
I don’t know if you realize that it is hard for those of us who are NOT from Christian families to fit into God’s family because we feel lost many times. We even feel like we are intruding because the ones we look up to have kids (physical families) of their own. We need what older women are to us and are thankful when we get to be in their lives. We are orphans of a sort with emotional baggage but we “cry out” to the people of God and are blessed when people respond.
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5
Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Sister to Sister: Guest Writer–Hannah Colley Giselbach

Posted on February 11, 2016

…Because, frankly, every teen girl should read. So should her mom, who’s struggling, second-guessing and praying– a lot!

 

A Letter to my Teenage Self

 

SI ExifDear Hannah,

You’re probably struggling to figure out that geometry or talking on your purple sparkly landline phone or waiting for the Internet to dial-up so you can sign on to AOL instant messenger or singing loudly into your hairbrush. Or maybe you’re cuddling with Baxter—guess what! You’re still going to be cuddling with Baxter when you’re 28! And even cooler—your SON likes to cuddle with him too! Yes, I said your SON! In a few short years, you’ll go to Freed Hardeman and have the time of your life, and while you’re there, you’ll learn a ton of hard life lessons and meet the man you’re going to marry. You’ll marry him when you’re 24 years old, and shortly after you turn 27, you’ll be having a baby. He’ll be the very best thing about you. Get excited. Oh, and when you’re 28, you’ll find out you’re having another baby! Listen girl, soak up this happy-go-lucky, very-few-responsibilities time, because it’s about to get busy fast. There will be days when you wish you could go back and be able to lay on your bed, jam out to your favorite CD’s, and read a book while someone else cooks for you and does all your laundry. 🙂

But here’s the real reason I’m writing you. There are some things I know now about your parents that I didn’t know then. You should know these things—every teenager with Christian parents should know these things. So if today is one of those days you’re super mad at Mom and Dad, turn down the Evanescence for a second and listen up.

Here are some thoughts I know might be going through your head right now:

They don’t know anything about what it’s like to be my age.

What I know now: Actually, they do. They know a lot more than you think they do. Whenever you feel like they are so out of touch with reality and they don’t remember what it’s like to feel like a teenager—to feel insecure and unsure and passionate and inspired and hormonal and frustrated and exhilarated and confused and scared and lonely all at the same time…remind yourself of these words—they know more and remember more than you think they do. There will come a day when you’ll realize that so much of what they said, so much of what they wouldn’t let you do, so much of what they made you do, was all for an important reason that won’t make sense to you now but will one day. One day, I promise you will wish you had listened and paid attention more, for perhaps it could have saved you a lot of frustration and even some heartache.

They are so strict about what I wear. They don’t want me to ever look cute.

What I know now: Let me tell you something you don’t realize—all the modesty rules your parents are giving you are not because they never want you to have a boyfriend. They know good and well all that business is about to start, and soon. See, your parents know (and yes, remember) what a struggle it is to keep your thoughts and actions pure when you’re a teenager—especially when you’re a teenage guy who constantly struggles with the temptation of lust. They understand sexual temptation more than you do, because, hello—they’re married, and they can do the stuff you’ve vowed not to do until you’re married, too. (I know you don’t like to think about this because ew, they’re your parents, but…it’s important). One day, when you’re married too, you’ll understand the way a man’s mind works, and you’ll understand just how very MUCH we as girls can affect the hearts and minds of the men around us, simply by the way we dress. So whenever Dad makes you turn around in a circle before you go out and he tells you to go back to your room and change because your Mudd jeans are too tight, just do it. Trust that he knows what he’s talking about—remember whose name you’re professing, and trust that your Dad really does just want what’s best for you, and what’s best for your peers, who are paying attention to you (and everyone else their age—because let’s be honest—you and all your friends are influenced way more by each other than by anyone else). Dress modestly, and don’t argue with your parents when they help you (or coerce you, whichever way is necessary) to do that. One day, you’ll be glad you were careful about this.

Why are they always all up in my business? Can’t I have a little privacy?

Actually, as much as you’re going to hate me for saying it, while you’re still living under their roof rent-free, your business IS their business. Any instant message, text message, phone call, date, or whatever else they let you do without their involvement and attention is gift of grace and an expression of trust. They have a right to any and all of your information and belongings. A little over a decade from now, when you have a child of your own, you will totally understand their constant desire to protect you and know what’s happening with you all the time. It’s because they love you more than life and they want to do whatever it takes to protect you from physical and emotional harm, and most importantly, spiritual harm. So when they ask questions about your friends, your text messages, your instant messages, and the boy that’s been calling you lately, that’s not just them being nosy—it’s love. They want to give you the benefit of the doubt by asking you personally rather than snooping around in your stuff to find answers about how you spend your time—which, by the way, they’re not above doing if you’re not willing to open up to them. This seems infuriating now, but one day, you’ll know exactly why, because you’ll feel the same way about your children.

Why do they care if my room stays clean all the time? IT’S MY ROOM, after all. 

Once again, all of your stuff is also their stuff. It’s not your room—they’re just letting you use it until you move out. (Warning: Enjoy your purple Paris bedroom while you can—in a few short years, you’ll come home and it will suddenly be Mom’s sewing room. SEWING ROOM.) I know you don’t realize this now, but they’re not just making you clean your room so the whole house can stay presentable, they’re making you do it because they’re teaching you responsibility. One day soon, you’ll have a husband and a family of your own, and the sole person in charge of keeping the house clean (yes, the whole house—not just “your room”) will be you. Any cleaning your parents make you do now will be a gift you’ll be able to open again and again when you don’t have to learn how to clean because you already know and are in the habit. (Psst…this one never really stuck with you like it should…so put a little extra effort in this department okay? Your future self—I—will be ever so grateful if cleaning the bathroom wasn’t such a miserable chore. K thanks!).

Why can’t they just be my friends? Why do they always have to act like dictators? 

One day, when you move out and have your own home, you will be amazed at how your relationship with your parents will change, and for the better. Those people who were always your controlling, bossy dictators will morph into your very best friends one day. I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but someday, you’ll be able to laugh with them and cry with them and when they talk you will want to listen because you will know that they really do know what they’re talking about. They will one day be the first people you call when you need advice. But right now, their job isn’t to be your friends. Right now, their job is to be your parents. Parents (or dictators, whatever you wish to call them) are exactly what you need during this super impressionable, vulnerable time of your life when you’re still being molded into the person you’re going to become. They have such a short window to shape you into a Godly, responsible, happy adult. They take that responsibility so very seriously. So, be okay with them not being your friends right now. You have plenty of friends. You don’t need more friends. What you need are parents who love you enough to be nosy and yes, bossy. Appreciate them for what they are right now, and know that one day, if you play your cards right and truly live for God, they really will be your best friends one day, but it will only be because of THIS time in your relationship with them that that can happen.

They think everybody I like is bad… Just because you don’t know someone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t meet up and get to know this guy…

Once again, they remember more than you think they do. If they don’t trust a guy you’re wanting to go out with, there’s probably a very good reason for that. They see right through your friends who are fake and your friends who are hiding something. They know exactly when that guy you think is so cute is putting on a show and won’t really treat you like a lady. They can tell when a guy likes you for all the wrong reasons. If they don’t want you to go out with someone, it’s going to hurt, but if you’re too chicken to turn him down yourself, just tell the guy your parents said no and he can be mad at them instead of you. Trust me, your parents are okay with this. They love you too much to care a whole lot about what your high school crushes think of them. One day, when you’re married to a Godly, righteous man who loves you and respects you for all the right reasons, you’ll wonder why you were ever interested in that guy in the first place. Just be patient.

They don’t trust my judgment.

Well…I hate to admit it, but you’re right about this one, teenage Hannah. They don’t trust your judgment about a lot of things, and for good reason. You haven’t lived long enough to even know what sound judgment really is. Right now, you’re at a stage in your life when you actually believe that 16-year-olds know more about life and love and the world as a whole than any other people on the planet. One day you’ll see how scary that is. You have to earn your parents’ trust—do your best to show them that you’re wise enough to make right decisions, and I promise they’ll let you make more of them on your own without their input (but it’s still true that, one day…you’ll covet their input…I promise).

Do they seriously have to have a say even in how I do my make up?! How much make up I wear should be up to me at this age.

There’s something you should know. It’s going to be painful. It’s going to be unpleasant. But in the name of all that is good and lovely, someone has to say it. At age 16, when you let yourself do whatever you want with your makeup, you leave the house looking like a cross between a prostitute and a circus clown. One day, you’ll look back at pictures of yourself in that hot pink lipstick, that sparkly purple eyeshadow and that eyeliner that went halfway to your eyebrows and you will shake your head and laugh. I’m sorry to be the one to break this to you. When your parents tell you to wash your face and try again with that eyeliner, it’s not because they don’t want you to look pretty (which is what you’re thinking, I know), it’s because they don’t want you to publically embarrass yourself unnecessarily. They want you to be able to hold on to whatever dignity a 16-year-old is capable of possessing so that people don’t actually think you’re a mentally challenged clown-faced woman of the night.

Sorry. Someone needed to say it.

I’m a good kid. I don’t drink or do drugs. I don’t steal. I don’t cheat. I don’t make fun of handicapped people. It just seems like they should appreciate me more and respect me more instead of always hounding on me about things like keeping my room clean, getting homework done, texting and driving, and cleaning out the cat litter. I mean, come on…there are a lot of worse things I could do.

Give yourself a pat on the back, girlfriend, because your future self can look back and confidently say that yes, you are a good kid. You have a pure heart and you truly want to do the right thing all the time. One day, I promise it will all be worth it—the struggle to remain pure, to season your speech with salt, to dress modestly, to be kind to those who need it most, to sacrifice popularity in order to make righteous choices. You will be so very thankful you chose this path one day. I thank you.

But just because you were mostly “a good kid,” doesn’t mean you don’t have some things you need to work on and improve. Remember that your parents just have this one short window of time—just 18 years to try and help you become the very best human you can be. So just because you feel unappreciated for the good decisions you’re making doesn’t mean that your parents are not thankful for that—they are. One day you’ll see that more clearly. What they’re doing is taking advantage of every moment they have with you to truly love you and care for you—and right now, that means they will be paying attention to the details of how you’re living your life. I know it’s hard, but try not to wish the moments away. Even though you are positive there’s more to life than keeping your room clean, one day, you will miss these days.

I wish you could actually read this letter. I wish I could really show up in your room, have a seat with you on your Eiffel Tower bed, and have a little chat with you at 16 years old. Maybe I could convince you to love and appreciate your parents more—to trust that they really are much wiser than you are. But I can’t do that. What’s happened has happened, and for better or worse, I am what I am (wait, that’s Popeye). But I’m writing this anyway, because maybe there will be one single teen girl of 2016 who will read this and take it to heart. If one single girl could read this and be convinced that Godly parents are a blessing like none other, this toddler naptime I’ve spent writing will be worth every second.

Anyone who is blessed with Christian parents who love God has been given a precious gift. Don’t take it for granted. It’s frustrating being a teenager, but I promise you, it’s just a few short years and once they’re in the past, you won’t be able to believe how fast they slipped away. Next time you want to talk back and argue with your parents, take a deep breath, bite your tongue and ask yourself if your parents are actually trying to ruin your life, or if what they’re saying is really because they love you and want to help you. Next time you want to roll your eyes at them, remind yourself that they actually do know a lot more than you do about the important things that will affect your entire life and yes, your eternity.

And if you’re smart enough to have a humble spirit about all this, go give your Christian parents a hug. Write them a letter and thank them for loving you. Thank God for them right now and ask Him to help you to obey and honor them. Because you see, I’ve given you lots of reasons why you should listen to your parents, but none of them are the MOST important reason. This particular reason far outshines any other reason why you should honor your parents: God commanded it.

 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (Ephesians 6:1-3)

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)