How was your Father’s Day? Did we take the time to remember our dad and acknowledge him? How about our heavenly Father, did we thank Him for everything He has done for us? With honor comes respect. When we honor someone, we show them respect. Who do we honor in our lives? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Father’s Day is another time when we are reminded of one of our parents. Let’s face it without either one we would not be here. God’s idea of parents is not necessarily held by the world today. As we discussed last week, God created the family with certain roles and responsibilities. I hope and pray that your dad understands his responsibility and has tried to honor God in his leadership of his family.

There is an expectation that we will act in a way that honors our parents. Scripture tells us to honor our father and mother and it will go well for us. The Fifth Commandment says;

Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Honor is an interesting word and I thought we might try to understand it better. What does it mean to honor someone or something? At the very least it means to recognize the significance. It means to acknowledge. It means to respect. When we honor someone we show them that we understand what they have done and we are grateful for the opportunity provided for us.

Honor starts in your heart. The concept of learning honor and respect for someone regardless of their performance is the beginning of understanding unconditional love. When we can honor and respect those who don’t fulfill our expectations we begin to understand grace.

Honor is about putting someone above yourself. It is about caring for others and what they need before you care about what you want.

There are many people that deserve to be honored. I think of all those who gave their lives for our freedom. I think of those who have paved the way for me to enjoy the opportunities I have. I think of my dad, he wasn’t perfect and in many eyes didn’t do anything honorable, but for me he taught me respect. He taught me fairness. He taught me how to honor others. That is enough for me to say thank you.

I also think about what God has done for me, the sacrifice He made to show His love for me. I desire to embrace that, honor and respect Him.

John 3:16-17; NIV; For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

I wonder if we have lost our way? Have we become so self-centered that we don’t have time to stop and honor those who came before us, those who paved the way, those who sacrificed their life for ours. I am not just talking about our dads, I am talking about anyone who, in the past, has done something that has helped us attain the life we enjoy today.

We should honor God the Father because He created us; He gave us life. He holds our future in his hand. He provided a sacrifice for us so that through the blood of Christ our sins could be forgiven. He cares for us. He loves us.

We need to take a moment and reflect on our life, the things we have, the opportunities we are given and the things we enjoy. Take some time and honor those who have given so much so that we could have life.

Blessings,

Pastor Don