Blog

by Eric Hansen

First, I want to say that I cannot speak on behalf of women, and so I will only be discussing men and not cover the other half of the biblical world.

However, as a man who knew only a sinful life for decades, it brings moments of retrospection. Would my life have been different if I knew God before some event? Would I have married my wife? If I grew up in a Christ-focused house, would I have been a different child? While I hate what if’s, they are a fact of an over-thinker’s daily life.

As a son, though, in what ways can I instill Christ as my focus, even though I’m considered an adult by all legal means? This is something that I never considered until my wife brought up how I’m still a son to a worldly father and mother, and not just the Father.

I find it much easier to help guide my wife along a Christ-focused life compared to my mom and dad, yet I’ve known them much longer. Take a look at what Paul speaks to us about in Ephesians 6:1-3: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’” This will be the main focus of how we can be Godly sons.

Where does the focus lay on who is pleased by an obedient child? Of course, the mother and father are excited that they can take their kid to church for a few hours, or a movie, and their little one will be able to sit through it when the parent tells them to. But more importantly we see Paul making the statement that we are “in the Lord” (v. 1) and that us being obedient “pleases the Lord” (Colossians 3:20). As with most of the life-application verses in the New Testament, this isn’t without prior knowledge of God’s revelation. For this, we can see in the 5th commandment: “Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12). This isn’t something new that Paul or Jesus was instilling in us; it’s been a foundational decree from God since the very beginning of Israel.

When I read through these passages, though, I often find it difficult to think that this applies to me, being the age I am and of legal responsibility. But truly it holds me even more accountable the older I become. If you think about it, when was the last time you depended on your parents for anything of substance? In this world, man is often thought of as very self-sufficient, even to the point of sin (separation from God). But as we as sons grow older, we should truly be seeking more wisdom from our parents (Proverbs 6:20). We all know that soon enough our parents won’t be with us in this world, and we shouldn’t take them or their knowledge for granted. We must stop asking ourselves what we can do to become better and instead seek wisdom from our parents. Even if they made horrible decisions, that knowledge can help guide us as to what not to do, much like the bulk of the Old Testament’s teachings.

Through this I am not saying we are to blindly listen to what we are told, whether we are a child or not. We should test all teachings we hear against the Bible, which is the authority worthy enough for rebuking (2 Timothy 3:16). Instead we should listen to what we are told, question what doesn’t sound correct, and pray on what to do with what we know now. The same goes for when we are corrected. Whether it is our parents or a stranger who comes to us and tells us we were wrong, we need to be open to the possibility that we were wrong, but also question it if we disagree with the statement, not bicker and argue because our ego got scratched.

The Messiah was no stranger to being submissive to His earthly mother and father as well. Luke 2:51 highlights this, and Jesus further exemplifies the laws; even more, Jesus was obedient to the Father and His will even until He died. As Jesus did then, we must now too still submit to our parents regardless of how old we are. If you disagree with this statement, then I ask you to find a verse in the Bible that demonstrates righteousness that comes from ignoring our parents. As Christians, we can often think we’re doing the right thing but yet actually be acting against His will. A common aspect of this is “I feel in my heart God is saying …” But in reality God speaks to us through the Bible, not through our hearts. There’s no new revelation bestowed upon us that isn’t in His Word, so when we “feel” these things, we should seek God’s Word above our feelings or emotions.

Whether you’re 5 or 75, we will always be considered a son to the Father. We are an infant He wants to see dependent on Him instead of trying to survive off of their own well-being. This isn’t to say we cannot grow our own crops, build our own churches, or start our own families. But we need to seriously remember who we are the son of and where that takes us in both times of joy and strife.

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