Tag: eternity

Honor Your Parents

~ Sowmya Gali

Exodus 20: 12

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

This is the only commandment that comes with a promise. We didn’t just show up on this planet at this particular time. God chose a man and a woman to bring us forth. We are here because of our parents. We had no choice of who our parents were going to be as the All-Knowing God made that choice for us. Many are blessed with loving parents while many have no parents or have/had tough ones.

When we were babies and toddlers, our world was our parents. The delight of seeing them, being held close, smelling them and just being in their presence brought us immense joy and comfort. From about four till ten years, our parents were our super heroes. They were our joy-givers, toy-fixers, hurt-pacifiers, tear-wipers, and magic-performers. As we inched into our teen years, we began contending with them over trivial things. We began to think they are not smart enough for our generation and that we knew more than them. Come late teens and young adults, we concluded that we don’t need our parents any more. Definitely, we didn’t want them to make decisions for us, albeit we wanted their approval for all our choices and decisions.

As we became adults and started raising our own families, we begin to compare ourselves to our parents. We are who we are today because of our parents. Whether positive or negative, we have been shaped predominantly by our parents. When we have to make a decision, we wonder if our parents would agree. When we accomplish something, we wonder if our parents would be proud of us. Anything we do or think, our initial thoughts run towards our parents. It matters to us immensely that our parents are proud of us, approve of our decisions, and applaud and brag about our accomplishments. We place them on a pedestal that is highly esteemed. When it matters so much about what our parents think of us, why then don’t we give them the respect they deserve? We are eager for our boss’s approval, search for a teacher’s nod and appreciation of several others under whose authority we live our lives. We honor and respect them. However, when it comes to our parents, it must matter even more.

In the process, we fail to realize that our parents are also humans and are prone to making mistakes. Since we used to esteem them highly, we assume that they cannot make a mistake. One mistake or one unkind word shatters our faith in them. We say we forgive them for all the hurt they caused us but fail to forget. We dwell on those bitter moments far too long, share with anyone who is willing to listen and sympathize with us and prolong the misery. In doing so, we slowly erode the love, respect and honor we have for our parents with our own bitterness. Even when they are kind to us, and trying to help us, we tend to shun them. On the contrary, we assume they carry an agenda every time they speak lovingly to us.

The Bible clearly commands us to honor our parents so we may be blessed and live a long life. Are we honoring and respecting our parents superficially or with all our hearts? Is it so difficult to not only forgive but also forget every hurtful thing they might have inflicted on us? More often we are willing to forgive and forget others’ mistakes but not those who are closest to us, especially of our parents. We carry that burden for several years, allowing that hurt to gnaw on us, both mentally and spiritually. We go through life doing all the right things, being busy with God’s work, ministering and living godly lives. We seem to be running on a treadmill not prospering neither spiritually nor socially.

What we fail to recognize is there might be a particular sin in our lives that still lingers! We have failed to forgive and forget the mistakes our parents have committed towards us. Thereby, we have failed to honor them with the love and respect that they deserve. If we fail to love and honor our parents, we will certainly fail to love and honor God. The Bible warns us that we will be cursed if we fail to honor our parents. (Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother. Deuteronomy 27: 16) Jesus warned His followers in Matthew 15: 4 – “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’

Our parents sacrificed much to bring us up, kept us in comfort, provided food, clothing and shelter, best education that they could afford, taught us spiritual and moral values and much more. Our Heavenly Father sacrificed His only Son Jesus Christ on the cross, so we could eternally be with Him in His glory, and under His protection. We would be free from sin and shame, and enjoy every blessing that comes with obedience in this life and the next. What more parallelism do we need to understand this very important commandment!

If in life we are not progressing, discontented with life, wondering where we are heading, disgruntled over little issues, and not really enjoying God’s goodness and blessings, then we must consider this sin that may persist in our lives. We must seek God’s forgiveness as well as our parents’ if they are still living before it is too late. We must seek God’s help to forget as well. We must teach ourselves to love and honor our parents. Consider this: What if God gave us parents to test our devotion towards Him? If we could love and honor them with all our hearts who are physically in front of us, then we will love and honor an omnipresent God as well. Failing to do so, we have broken the greatest commandment of all.

Dearly beloved, let us seek the Holy Spirit’s help to give us the changed heart and strength to forgive and forget our parents’ mistakes. Let us learn to love and honor them with all our hearts for it is pleasing to God. Despite their failures, we must persist in loving and honoring them all the days of their lives. In doing so, we will be blessed. In doing so, our days will be prolonged. In doing so, we are setting a good example to the next generations. And in doing so, we are honoring God.

Walk Alongside

~ Sowmya Gali

1 Samuel 1: 9

Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

Life is a rough journey in many instances. We go through troubled times waiting for God to answer our prayers. While God is working out His plan, we tend to resort to despair. Instead of remaining hopeful for God’s answer, we choose to continue on the path of hopelessness. We look at outward circumstances. We look at previous experiences. We look for people who may give us sound advice. We search for any possible solution to get us out of our troubled times as soon as possible. Our eyes of faith grow dim and short sighted.

During this myopic situation, it is important we surround ourselves with godly people who would encourage us. If we are not the ones going through rough times, there are people in our lives who are in despair. This is the moment we need to step alongside our friends or family members to encourage them. As they are struggling with God’s timing in answering their prayers, we should provide those with help and support. We should lovingly encourage those with God’s word. By doing so, we are helping them to remain steadfast in their faith.

Recently, as I was going through illness, hesitantly, I reached out to family and friends for prayer support. Many in my immediate family criticized me for advertising about my illness. My argument was, “I need prayer support.” While I trusted God to heal me, I also relied on the prayer support that I knew I will undeniably receive from my godly and faithful family and friends. So, I shared with my strong prayer warriors and requested to pray alongside me for healing. I was overwhelmed by the love, support, words of encouragement from these faithful flock. Yes, God provides us the timely help, timely word of encouragement. I was so delighted that I have a faithful group of friends and family who are willing to walk alongside me when I desperately needed that extra word of encouragement. Just learning that there are people praying for me, interceding on my behalf when I was too weak to even sit up and pray, thrilled me.

Elkanah is a great example of a supportive husband to a grieving wife:  a wife who was barren and constantly taunted by the other wife. Hannah was desperate. Despite her husband’s love and support, she still was heartbroken. Elkanah constantly encouraged Hannah, he gave her extra love and special gifts to cheer her up. However, she still remained childless. In the end she looked to God and trusted Him for help. When she poured her heart out to God, she found peace. Then she returned home to Ramah with a light heart.

In our journey of faith, we will come across people who would want us to be there for them in times of need, either financially or spiritually or emotionally. How often are we able to be there for them? Are we being critical of their circumstances or are we supportive by being a good listener and assuring them with God’s Word? Are we praying with them and for them? Are we ready to give them our advice or ready to lend our shoulder for them to lean on? Sometimes just being there with the person, also gives the suffering person a sense of peace.

Let us be people of God who would walk alongside those who are struggling. Let us be His servants serving those in need of strength. Let us be beacons of hope for those who are lost and are searching for answers. Let us for a change instead of walking ahead, walk alongside our brothers and sisters who are hurting. In doing so, we are loving our neighbor as ourselves. Just what Jesus Christ commanded. In doing so, we are encouraging them to rely on God and leading them on the path to eternity. In doing so, we are setting an example of Christ’s nature and they in turn will one day walk alongside someone in need. In doing so, our Heavenly Father is being magnified, and Jesus Christ is being glorified.