Big Healing Book - Ephesians 6:1-3

Ephesians 6:1-3:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Honour thy father and thy mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Notes on Ephesians 6:1-3:

I’ve heard of two cases at this writing (one of which was someone I knew personally) where people who have lived to be well over a hundred years old have attributed their long life to being careful to honor their parents.

This passage proves that Old Covenant blessings can still be obtained by Christians even though we’re redeemed from the curses, as Old Testament believers were promised long life if they would honor their parents. Under the New Covenant, the Old Covenant curses are canceled, but the Old Covenant blessings such as this one are Yes and Amen in Christ by us (2 Corinthians 1:20).

What if your parents are mean and ornery? What if they say bad things to you and never treat you with respect? What if their lives are advertisements for sin? There is no exception in such cases to the command to honor them. It does not matter whether they honor you. God will honor you for showing proper respect for your parents whether they “deserve” it or not.

This does not mean that you must be a punching bag for insults. You have the right to stop conversations and encounters where you are being verbally abused. However, you must still be respectful. Don’t return insult for insult. God will honor you for taking the high road and bless you with long life.