Honoring your parents is something I haven’t always done well. In fact, this post is hard for me to write this year. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs, and long conversations on how to make our relationship better. My husband and I discussed several questions on the way home from visiting my family last year. As Thanksgiving approaches and we’re headed back into family time, we want to navigate this well. We want everyone to enjoy our time together and create special memories. As we discussed this topic, my husband and I had some interesting questions to answer for ourselves and our kids. Is it hard for kids today to honor their parents? What traits do your parents have that you wish you had?
3 ways to honor your parents
Honoring means having great respect and high regard for the person in question. And respecting our parents means admiring them and treating them in a proper way. As I started to research what all of this really meant, I came across a great Family Life article. Loved their practical advice of how to really admire and love your parents even during the hard times.
- Appreciate the good things. Everyone on earth has redeeming qualities. Try to think of as many as you can for your mother or father. What positive physical attributes did they pass onto you? What about personality traits? Instead of dwelling on the bad memories or scars, consider how God has used this parent to make you the person you are today.
- Do something as an act of kindness. Send flowers for no special reason or call the parent on the phone just to catch up. Use a special skill you have to meet a need such as paint the bathroom, fix the car or mow the lawn.
- Choose to speak kindly of them. Our words are powerful. James 3:5 says “The tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!’
3 simple things to do. As we head into Thanksgiving, I keep reminding myself of the good things my parents have done. They have passed on many amazing attributes and traits which I need to dwell on even when we disagree. My biggest goal is to speak kindly to them and after we leave to appreciate their generosity for the week. So yes, it can be hard to honor your parents today, but if you appreciate how much they’ve done for you over the years, it can change your perspective. Praying blessings over all families as they gather together this year.
