Christ Image in Our Relationships
Hello Bride of Christ,
Ever look at your children or a younger family relative and stay amazed at how prone they are to mimic the adults or older people in their lives? Growing up in a Latin home we were taught from young to honor and respect our elders. The older generation were known to have endure some trying times and as a result had a wisdom about them. They were also expected to instill in the younger generation a sense of self worth and purpose of being part of the family. This concept is not meant to be a uniqueness of Latin people, but in fact God desired it to be a unique characteristic of His children.
In the Old Testament, God gives the commandments to Moses one of which was "Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you." (Exodus 20:12) The first commandment with promise. God encouraging His children to honor their elders, in particular their parents. This concept is not lost in the New Testament for Paul reminds the saints in Ephesus and Colossians of this commandment “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20). In Ephesians 6 Paul gives greater detail, “Children, obey your parents in the lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’, which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’” (Ephesians 6:1-2)
Honor, meaning high respect, great esteem. Children are called to respect their parents. As parents or elders in others lives can we help them out and be respectable people? It is important to note, respectable people are not perfect people. Also to be a respectable person does not mean being the wisest or most knowledgeable, because some of us will have children that have a higher IQ than us, yet they are called to honor / respect us. So what is a respectable person?
A person worth esteeming, honoring, or respecting is one who is honest, trustworthy, faithful. These are the core values Jesus and God illustrate to us as the word calls us to honor the Lord our God. Are we being honest and transparent with our children or the younger generation? Do they know we are human and struggle with sin? Do we model repentance? Do they see and hear us asking God for forgiveness? It is critical for us as parents or elders to help the younger generation fulfill this commandment. Are we trustworthy individuals? If not, we are becoming stumbling blocks to them. Can they rely on us to listen to their problem, as God listens? Can they tell us things in confidence? Can they be their true raw selves with us? Remember, this relationship is to model God’s relationship with His children. Is trust not a critical and major part of our relationship with God? Are we praying for them? Are we a present help in the time of need?
Bride of Christ, as parents or elders let us begin to hold up our end of the promise here. Let us as parents and elders who walk worthy of honor by being transparent, raw, open individuals with our children. Let us model and display a work in progress person that leans upon God and Jesus Christ for everything, that our children are without excuse to fulfill this commandment and prolong their days. Lean into grace and allow it to teach you how to bear the image of Christ in this special relationship of promise.
