Tag: commandments

Honoring Parents can be Tough, But it is God’s Way

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Today’s verse in the Pleasing God search, starts with Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Besides honoring and worshiping only God and not committing grievous sins towards others, we are commanded to honor our parents. 1 Timothy 5:4 adds these words, “Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.” Widows were to be taken care of but this is directed at their children. The children were to seek to honor their parents by making some return. We can speculate about that a bit. What comes to my mind is children working to support their surviving parent, taking part in the home and chores and honoring the memory of the deceased parent. Those types of actions would show growth in godliness and be pleasing to God.

Paul speaks of honoring our parents in Ephesians 6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” The promise is that honoring our parents with godly behavior in both words and deeds brings long life. The act of honoring our parents is ordered by God and is indeed pleasing to Him.

How are you doing with this? It is not always easy to honor our parents especially if you have different points of view on major things in life. Family situation can be fraught with tensions. Sometimes it seems like a very fine line between being your own person and upholding your own beliefs and yet stay honoring towards your parents. Perhaps avoiding antagonizing words when in their presence and not speaking ill of them is a start. Even if you mostly get along with your parents, you can undermine your relationship with them by speaking poorly of them to others. It is hard to do at times but so important. The Word of God speaks plainly about slandering others with our words. In Mark 7:21-23, Jesus considers it evil in our hearts, “ For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Paul speaks to the Ephesians 4:30-32 about grieving God the Holy Spirit, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” In Colossian 3:8-9 Paul encourages us to put these things away as they were part of our old nature.  “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.”

Honoring all relationships is what we are called to in Christ. Is it easy? No, but we have His spirit living within us empowering us to navigate the pathway of honor as it brings honor to God. Honoring behavior pleases God!

Linda

Power that Overcomes!

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Today’s promise describes to us the power of faith in our lives and its effect on the world around us.

1 John 5:3-5 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Promise: God promises that faith in Jesus will overcome the world and that obedience to His Word shows my love for Him.

This promise is HUGE in God’s Word. Our faith in Jesus and His saving work on the cross holds the key to victory for us over sin that is present in our own lives and throughout the world. In these days where sin seems to be rampant and we see disrespect directed at those who profess faith, knowledge that our God is sovereign gives us true hope! We can be assured that God does reign and someday the words of Philippians 2:10-11 will be true. “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” He will overcome the world and will reign victorious.

What we know from these verses: my obedience to God’s Word demonstrates my love for Him, keeping God’s Word is not a burden for the believer, faith in Jesus gives power to live a victorious life, faith in Jesus is more powerful than the pull of sin, salvation from sin comes only through faith in Jesus.

Lenten Reflections: Am I showing God that I love Him by keeping His Word? As I studying God’s Word to know what it is He desires of me?

We think about God loving us and showing us how much He cares for us, but do we think about our love back to Him? This verse tell us that obedience is God’s love language. For those who love Him, He will see that they are victorious. Faith in Jesus is the key as it causes us to want to please and show our love for God. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know my faith in Jesus has power and I will be victorious in Him.

Linda

Related Verses: 1 Samuel 15:22, Psalm 119:33-37, Micah 6:8, John 14:15,21, John 16:33, Acts 4:12, Revelation 17:14.

Remember Who You Belong to!

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Colossians 2:20-23 finished up this chapter and Paul’s final plea to the Colossian Christians to think about their faith and not to follow along just to get along. “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.”

Paul starts out – remember who you belong to! Christ has set you free! Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” The power we have in Christ is greater than the power in the world. Jesus told the disciples in John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Christ admonished us to be obedient to Him not the world and its desires. John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Trust in His Word and look to Him. I love Titus 1:9 “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” Psalm 119:41-42 “Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,  your salvation according to your promise; 42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.” Paul’s message was remember who you belong to, trust in the power of Jesus to overcome, be obedient to His commandments and rely upon His Word.

When you are feeling bullied or under attack, look to God’s Word. There you will find strength, comfort, mercy and guidance by our Heavenly Father. Pray, Pray, Pray and ask God to show you what is true and right. Ask and you will receive when you ask for wisdom (James 1:5), ask without doubting (James 1:6), and ask with right motives with purity of heart (James 4:2-3).

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I am affirmed in Christ and can ask for His guidance and wisdom from His Word. I know He will answer. Matthew 7:8 “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Linda