Honor Your Parents

Honor Your Parents

What does this mean?

Does it mean you should throw a party with your parents as the guests of honor? Should you give them a medal? Does it mean you should avow in public how wonderful they are?

Nope, none of that. Honoring your mother and father is about how you treat and work with others.

Following the Goldern Rule shows your parents honor. Treating all you meet with respect shows your parents honor. Doing the best you can shows your parents honor. Doing that which is right shows your parents honor.

Let's look more closely at these things.

Treat everyone you meet with respect.

This should be a duh!, it stands to reason if you treat other with respect they will treat you with respect. Too many people, however, wait to see if others threat them respectfully before returning the respect. This behavior reflects on your parents. If you treat others with respect they will recognize a well brought up person. They will recognize the quality and capability of your parents. They will recognize the quality and capability of you too!

In every endeavor, regardless of how interesting or challenging it may be, do the very best you can.

We all find ourselves slacking off when we have a menial task that is boring and difficult. It is easy to get distracted. Nevertheless, you need to perform these tasks with the same intensity and quality that you put into any other task.

Every job has its dull and tedious tasks, even the President of The United States has some responsibilities that are dull and tedious (think about signing bills into law for the media, swiching pens after every signature and signing dozens of copies). The President shows as much enthusiam doing that as any other task he has. There is a significant benefit to do your best regardless of the task. When others know you will put your all into any task, they will be more willing to give you important tasks (the tasks that are generally most interesting and challenging!). Doing your best, once again, positively reflects on your parents and your upbringing.

Do that which is right. Obey the ten commandments and all civil and secular laws and ordinances.

Think about it, when you read or hear about a criminal, don't you often wonder at what kind of parents they had? Obeying the law and God's comandments reflects well on you and on your parents. Obeying the rules also helps you to have a better freer life. When other know you follow the rules, they become more willing to let you work in peace, without looking over your shoulder. You will be given more responsibility and more authority. You will be trusted and respected. Doing the right thing benefits you and honors your parents.

Follow the Golden Rule (Treat others in the way you want them to treat you!)

This is actually a very sensible thing. If someone is nice to you, you tend to be nice to them. If someone hits you, you tend to hit them back! This is common sense. However, when you treat people nicely, it reflects back on your parents. People will think "What a nice young man/woman, he/she must have very good parents. It also reflects on you and makes your life easier.

Note: Treating people badly does not generally reflect back on your parents. Bad behavior is ascribed to your, the person who behaved badly, and rarely, if at all, does the recipient of the bad behavior think "What terrible parents he/she must have!"

Your behavior reflects on your parents. You honor your parents by behaving in ways that will cause others to respect, trust and like you. It is interesting to note, that honoring your parents is always the best way to honor yourself and insure a good and happy life for yourself.

Amen