AUG 18

Proverbs 23:22-25
Memorise Proverbs 23:22
“despise not thy mother when she is old”

Despite knowing that we ought to honour and obey them, we may still feel that there is this ‘generation gap’ between us and our parents. We feel that they just don’t understand so many of the things that we are going through. They grew up in such a different age, and they did not have the struggles that we face, and are just so behind and old-fashioned in their thinking! On top of that, we get frustrated by their ignorance and general distrust for anything new and laden with technology. As a result, teens nowadays do not respect their parents. They feel superior to their parents, and believe they have nothing to learn from their old-fashioned, backward thinking parents. Dear Teen, are you one of them?

The Bible has strong warnings against such thinking. Taken to the extreme, we read of happenings such as Absalom’s rebellion against his father David for he felt that he was the more capable king, and tried to overthrow his father (2 Samuel 13-18). The ensuing conflict was an ugly one which resulted in Absalom’s death. The prodigal son was another such example, of a youth who wanted freedom from his father’s authority, and just wanted his father’s wealth to enjoy. In time to come, he realized his folly and came crawling back to his father’s loving embrace. Thus Proverbs 23:22 wisely exhorts us: “Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old”. When we fail to respect our parents, often the fault lies in us and not them. They have been around longer, and are likely to be far wiser than us - just not in the ways that we know how to appreciate. Often, it is only with age and maturity that we will gradually realize how wise and worthy of our respect they really are.

As children, we must learn to overlook the perceived faults of our parents, and recognize all the good that they have done for us. See past our own selfish desires and petulant wants, and try to understand why they say and do certain things. Oftentimes, it is for our own good, done out of their love and wisdom. Above all, we must realize that if both parent and child are believers, then there should really be no ‘gap’ or difference at all. Their thinking, values and purposes would be in sync. They would have the same goals and motivations in life. They would both seek to glorify God in all that they do, and they would live in accordance to the Word of God.

Thought: This ‘generation gap’ is only perceived and not real.
Prayer: Lord, help me put aside my pride and selfishness, and love my parents for who they are.