The Fourth Commandment directs us to honor our mother and father. We are instructed to be obedient and to love them with all of our heart. This commandment is in reference to our earthly parents. However, I certainly think we can apply it to our Heavenly Father. So far, during this study, we have reflected upon God and how He can support us in our lives; How we should trust him with our problems and allow him to carry us. But one thing we haven’t talked about is how we should obey Him. In John 15:10 we are reminded to keep the commandments in order maintain a close relationship with God.
It would be difficult to maintain a positive relationship with your parents if you continually broke the house rules. God has house rules too that He expects us to submit to. These rules are seen in the 10 Commandments and supported throughout the Bible. Some of these commandments can be really hard to abide by. Envy is the one I struggle with the most-I’m always catching myself thinking, “They have a bigger house. She always has the nicest clothes. I bet she makes more money than I do” These thoughts eat away at my self confidence relationship with God. It’s difficult to stick to these rules. But, God has given us the tools we need to be successful.
In addition to obeying Him, it’s also imperative that we praise Him. One of my favorite days of the year is Father’s Day. I really enjoy picking out a gift for my dad and helping my son work on a gift for my husband. I have always found it fun to build someone up and make them feel special. Isn’t the most special person in our life God the Father? Deuteronomy 10:21 reminds us of all of the wonderful things that God has done for us and that we should praise him for it. We devote a whole day (and I think it should certainly be longer than a day!) to fathers for all they do for us. Don’t you think that God deserves constant praise and love for all of the wonderful gifts He has bestowed upon us?
In the Bible, we are reminded to obey and to praise the Father-similar to how we should behave with our own fathers. It’s important to remember that God isn’t our servant. We shouldn’t just snap our fingers and expect Him to hand the world to us on a silver platter. Instead, we should be singing His praises and asking HIm how we can serve him as His child. How can we be better children? I know what I like to see in my own child --- appreciation for everything I do for, and obeying the rules. If we can provide that for our Heavenly Father, we are definitely on the right path
Reflect: What commandments do you struggle with?
Reflect: How do you personally like to praise God?
Act: Write down 10 things you are thankful for.
