[Gary Petty] We’re doing part four of “Honoring Your Parents” – just simple things we can do to help create honor in our children and help us as parents, too. And one of the most important things you can do in teaching your children to honor you is to honor your parents. When they see you doing that, they will model that behavior. They will know that that’s just how life is supposed to work.

Now, I have to admit, I had very honorable parents and a good relationship with my parents, so honoring them was simple. It was good. I liked doing it. But over the years I’ve counseled many, many people who have difficulty honoring their parents because their parents treated them so poorly, maybe abused them. And so they say, “What can I do to honor my parents?”. Many times they can’t even have a relationship with them because it’s so estranged, or the abuse was so terrible. What I always say is, for your own sake – and I’ve had people do this and come back many times and say it helped change their lives – for your own sake, honor your parents, even if they are dishonorable. Even if you can’t have a relationship with them. It can be something as simple – on Father’s Day, sending a card to your father saying, “Thank you for bringing me into this world”. You simply send it. Doesn’t mean you can have a relationship – sometimes you can’t. But at least you honored them. And your children see you doing that. They see you doing these little acts of honor.

It’s very important – I’ve talked to people who’ve done that, and they always say what happens is it changes them. They find some peace in simply giving honor. Sometimes you want to be loved, and your parents didn’t love you, and that hurts so much, and you can’t – you don’t know how to love them because they didn’t love you. At least honor them in some simple way. And in doing so, you will find some peace. You’ll also find that your relationship with God is strengthened. Any time we do the right thing, our relationship with God is strengthened.

So teach your children honor by honoring your parents. And if you have dishonorable parents, still find some little way that you can honor them that will help you then in your relationship with God.

That’s BT Daily. Join us next time.