Jake Lawson
Honoring your parents is a life-long pursuit and looks different, depending on what stage you, the child, are in. Honoring as a child looks like obedience. Honoring as a young adult looks like respect. Lastly, honoring as an adult looks like appreciation.
So, how can we best appreciate our parents? Here are some suggestions:
- Give them grace
- There is no such thing as a perfect parent! Don’t hold them to the standard of perfection because no one can ever reach that!
- Show up
- In what ways can you show your appreciation to your parents by spending quality time with them?
- Do what they like to do
- What is something that they love to do that you could participate in to show your appreciation to them? Play a board game? Family walk? Movie night?
- Talk about them well
- Be vocal in your appreciation of them! Just as important, also be sure to be just as appreciative when they aren’t around to hear your words.
- Thank them specifically
- What are some specific ways that you can thank your parents? Is there a specific lesson that they taught you which has stuck with you today? Are you especially thankful for something they have done for you? Thank them for it!
- Do something for them without being asked
- What are some ways that you can serve them practically which will bless them?
- Influence in your own parenting
- Learning from both the good and the bad, in what way can their parenting of you influence your own?
- Keep them updated on your life
- Parents enjoy hearing how you are doing! You don’t have to tell them every detail but keep them updated on what’s going on in your world. Tell them about a good day you had or maybe a rough time you’re going through. Tell them if something in your everyday life makes you think of them!
- Celebrate them
- This could be on anniversaries, birthdays or otherwise special days for them. In what ways can you tell and show them how much they mean to you and how thankful you are for them?
- If one, or both, of your parents have passed, remember them and praise God for them!
- The reality is that many are without one or both of their parents. If that’s you, in what way can you best remember them and praise God for putting you in their life?
Thank you for taking the challenge to appreciate your parents. We are praying for you as you do just that!
Join us Sunday for Church