fbpx

Day 4 

The relationship between parent and child is one of humanity’s most intimate relationships. It has a huge impact on who a person grows to become. Parents are charged with nurturing children into adulthood and then continuing to love and support them after that. Sometimes parents fail to do that well, or at all.

It’s easy for children to focus on a parent’s shortcomings, because the effects of those failures can be profound. Yet what about the effect a child’s shortcomings can have on a parent? Proverbs shows us that those can be profound as well.

Read

Proverbs 15:20

20 A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish man despises his mother.

Proverbs 17:21

21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;

there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.

Proverbs 17:25

25 A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to the mother who bore him.

Proverbs 19:26

26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother

is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

Proverbs 20:20

20 If someone curses their father or mother,

their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.

Ask yourself

  • These short two-line proverbs are small but mighty. They are dense and pack a punch. Think about what circumstances could be behind these proverbs. What might the foolish son be doing that would bring grief? How does a foolish man “despise” his mother?

Read what others say

Honoring your parents as an adult

From Ray and Anne Ortlund

“How can we grow in wisdom toward our parents? The key words in Proverbs 15:20 and 20:20 are “despises” and “curses.” Those words are the opposite of what God wants. What does God want? It’s in the fifth commandment: “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). And that command not to despise, not to curse, but to honor our parents – that command applies to us all our life long, even after we grow up and leave home.

What is God saying? To despise our parents is to treat them as worthless. To curse our parents doesn’t mean to swear at them but, like despise, to treat them as beneath us. And to honor our parents is to treat them as weighty and worthy, just because they’re our parents. They don’t have to earn our respect; we owe it to them. The burden is not on them but on us – according to God. That helps teenagers who sometimes think their parents are dumb. God says, even if you do think your parents are dumb, you still owe them respect.

How can all of us fulfill our obligation to honor our parents? We don’t have to agree with them. We don’t even have to stay close to them. Sometimes a little distance helps. But we can honor them in two ways. One, we can thank them. We can stop blaming them for their failures and thank them for their successes… Two, if your parents were Christians, imitate them. The Bible says, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God…and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7).[1]

Explore on your own

Some words of wisdom for those of us with kids from Dan Darling, “Do Not Neglect the Holy Spirit in Parenting.” We need the Spirit to parent well!

Pray

Pray that you will not grieve your parents but bring them joy. Ask the Spirit to reveal any foolish ways in you. Are there painful issues that are hindering your relationship with your parents, particularly with your dad? Ask the Spirit for wisdom in how to deal with them. Maybe it’s time to bring those out into the light. Do you need to offer forgiveness? Seek forgiveness? Both? Ask your heavenly father to give you supernatural grace and compassion for your parents, and that they will show you the same.  

Talk about it

  • Yesterday you talked about some ways to honor your dad. Today talk about some tangible ways you can offer him grace and compassion? How can we encourage and care for our fathers, especially as they get older?

[1] Ray and Anne Ortlund, “Proverbs on Family Life” Renewal Ministries, https://renewalministries.com/message/proverbs-on-family-life/

 

 

 

 

     

     

     

    About the Engage God DailY

    Jesus invites us to know him personally and engage with him daily. Through daily Bible reading and prayer, we can grow in our relationship with him. The Engage God Daily is a daily resource designed to help you better understand the Bible and take you deeper into the concepts taught on Sunday mornings.

    Use this guide to prepare for next Sunday’s teaching. Each day presents a reading, Scripture, and a prayer to help grow in your walk with Christ this week. 

    In Your Inbox

    Past Studies

    Colossians: Week 2 | Day 5

    Colossians: Week 2 | Day 5

    Day 5  Lisa Sheffler, author Read Colossians 1: 22–23 (NIV) 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and...

    Colossians: Week 2 | Day 4

    Colossians: Week 2 | Day 4

     Day 4  Lisa Scheffler, author Have you checked out the new Pastors Pregame Podcast with Bruce, Jaime, Mark, and Lisa? New episodes every Thursday! It’s available at cfhome.org/pregame or on the Apple podcast app. Read Colossians 1:21–22 (NIV) 21 Once you were...

    Colossians: Week 2 | Day 3

    Colossians: Week 2 | Day 3

      Day 3  Lisa Scheffler, author Read Colossians 1:19–20 (NIV) 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed...