Igalang ninyo ang inyong ama’t ina.

Levitico 19:3

We sometimes feel frustration toward people we love. Adult children get snappy when they think their parents continue to treat them like kids, giving opinions on how to live their lives, or how to run their households. Or minors desire to live independently because they are not allowed to be free to do what they want.

The Bible is not short on reminders about what kind of family dynamics we need to work at. One aspect is how a child should treat his or her parents with reverence. Our parents brought us into this world, and that alone calls for gratitude. Their responsibility to raise us to be “good humans,” as we say today, is no easy feat. There really is no parenting manual that comes with a child’s birth, only a beautiful bond needing continuous nurturing and protection.

Some may not live in ideal homes, with problems causing stress from within. But children are still called to show respect and love. Take for instance Grace, who constantly refers to her absentee father as merely a “donor.” Grace’s father was present in the first 10 years of her life until her parents’ marriage annulment. Her negativity toward her father does not give her the right to think or speak of him that way. She should remember that God takes account of our thoughts, words, and actions and will deal with us individually one day.

“Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father,” God instructed the Israelites (Leviticus 19:3, NASB). The Apostle Paul affirmed this in his letter to the Ephesian believers. It’s still true today. We are to give credibility to our parents by listening to their words and obeying them, lalo na kung nakatira pa rin tayo sa bahay nila. 

Think about this too: If we know how to honor our earthly parents, it will be easy for us to honor our Heavenly Father. Hindi ba?