Several gifted youths participated in our Ten Commandments Project Speech contest this year. This project and others like it are powerful discipleship tools for any child or youth. And as you read or listen to this or any of the speeches submitted in this project, the power of this tool becomes obvious.
Today, we feature 16-year-old Abigail Murphy’s speech:
Exodus 20:12, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”
This is the fifth commandment of The Ten Commandments.
Ephesians 6:2, “Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)”
Here we see that this verse refers back to Exodus 20:12, but we also see that this verse calls Exodus 20:12 “the first commandment with promise.” So what is the promise of the fifth commandment?
Exodus 20:12 shows us that when we are obedient to God’s laws, in this case by honoring our parents, God will bless us, and this verse specifically speaks of having a long life.
So what does the fifth commandment command us to do? Exodus 20:12 just simply commands us to honor our parents, but what does it mean to honor?
The definition of the word honor means to show respect towards something. One way we show honor towards our parents is by being obedient. God commands us to obey our parents, but it also pleases the Lord when we are obedient.
We see this in Colossians 3:20, “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.”
As a Christian, I am called to obey God, but it is also something I seek. Where does one learn to obey? From your parents! God has instituted the home as a place of preparation for children to learn how to serve God and be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Learning to obey your parents is also vital preparation for adulthood. The Bible tells us many times to not forget or forsake the things we are taught by our parents.
One such verse is Proverbs 6:20, “My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:”
The way we live our adult life proves to others what our parents have taught us at home.
Proverbs 23:24, “The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.”
Proverbs 17:21“He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.”
The reason parents can rejoice and have joy over a righteous and wise child or be sorrowful and without joy over a foolish child is because a child is the product of their parent. Your parents have a large hand in making you who you are today. Likewise, as a child of God, others should be able to see my Heavenly Father in me through the way I carry out the things God has taught me. In other words, I should strive to be a good example of my parent's instruction and of God’s instruction.
In closing, we see from the fifth commandment that an act of obedience comes with a reward. Of course, we don't just do it for the reward. When I obey my parents, one of my rewards is a relationship with them, where they are pleased with me, and we are in harmony. This type of relationship is a relationship that I strive to have with God. Where God is pleased with me as His child because of my obedience. and we are in harmony because of my obedience.
And this is why I should honor my father and mother.
For more information about the 2023 Ten Commandments Project, contact Pastor Joseph Parker, the project coordinator and AFA director of outreach and intercession at jparker@afa.net or by calling 662.844.5036 x381.
