Christian Relationship Help: How to Honor and Respect Parents Who Aren't Honorable or Respectable

Christian Relationship Help: How to Honor and Respect Parents Who Aren't Honorable or Respectable 

- By Karla Downing

Are you looking for Christian relationship help to guide you in how to honor and respect parents who aren't honorable or respectable? One of the Ten Commandments given by God is to honor your mother and father and it came with the promise that the Israelites would live long in their land (Exodus 20:12). "Honor" means to show proper respect and value. It isn't difficult to figure out how to honor and respect parents that behave honorably and respectably, but how do you honor and respect parents that don't act that way?

Many parents live in a way that isn't responsible. They overspend and incur huge debts. They don't plan appropriately for the future and end up in a situation where they need money for basic necessities. They have addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and shopping. They are verbally and emotionally abusive to you, your siblings, your other parent, and your children. They may have divorced your mother or father and are now living with or married to someone who isn't your biological parent and worse yet, someone you don't like or respect. They may also have been bad parents when raising you and your siblings and have never repented.

These and other problems are all too common today, yet Christians still feel they need to abide by the biblical mandate. Here are ways you can honor a dishonorable parent:

Refuse to enable bad behavior.

Honoring does not require children to enable parents to continue bad behavior. It doesn't honor parents to do things that ultimately hurt them, the relationship with you, and others. When you honor someone, you want what is best for them because you value them enough to care. Refusing to enable unhealthy choices is investing in your parent's long-term good and acting in a way that increases the chance that positive changes will be made.

Speak respectfully when confronting.

Treating your parents with respect doesn't mean you can't confront them with the truth. The temptation might be to confront them with the deluge of resentment and anger you have stored up for years. Instead, you speak to them at the appropriate time in the appropriate way. Talk to them alone rather than in front of other people. Let them know that the problems are hurting your relationship with them and that you want the relationship to be better. Don't talk down to them or treat them abusively or with contempt. Accept your part in the problem by owning your own perceptions, opinions, experiences, and feelings. Recognize that your parents have the right to make choices for themselves as adults and so do you. Don't tell them what to do, manipulate, or threaten.

Do the things you can.

There are some things you cannot do: give money when the money isn't going to be spent wisely or is hurting you and your immediate family; tolerate abusive behavior toward you or your spouse and children; allow someone who is high or intoxicated in your home; allow someone to live with you who will disrupt your home and not respect your boundaries; or anything else that is enabling. You can't do these types of things but you can visit the person in other settings; remember holidays; help with things that are for your parent's good and do things that you would normally do for them.

Honoring and respecting your parents doesn't require you to tolerate and condone unacceptable behavior nor does it require you to allow them to do anything they want in your home and to you. It simply means that you treat your parents as people who you care about and value enough to make a stand for what is right and what is good for your long-term relationship.

Did Jesus came to form a Religion?

Holla peeps!!
Immanuel!

source : here

Did Jesus came to form a Religion?- By Don Felix Azcona

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him (Jesus) should not perish but have everlasting life."

Lets see this verse carefully it never mention if we are Catholics, Protestant, SIB, or any other Christian Denomination or Religion. God said whosoever believes in His Son Jesus will not perish and will have an everlasting life. This is yet so simple and clear yet we debate in theology schools and among other Christian denomination to who is right.

Lets just say all the Christian denomination and religion of the world are right, because people will argue that no religion teaches man/woman to do bad or evil things, now that is true!. In today's world their are 1000 know religion including all the Christian denomination. Meaning if all these were true they would be 1000 ways to heaven. Now think for a second if there are 1000 ways to heaven why would God sent His only son (Jesus) to watch Him (Jesus) torture, insulted, crucified, and killed just to inform mankind, Hey I made another way now you have 1001 ways to choose from to enter heaven. Those that make any sense to you? No!, that is why in John 14:6, Jesus says; "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father except through Me."

If by our on works and ability we could enter heaven, for an example follow the 7 sacraments, or pray 5 times a day, fasting, zakat, umra and going to haj, all these you could achieve on your own right? Than why would you need God? If you could go to heaven without God what's the point? If you never knew him? The Gospel is all about having an intimate relationship with God. We are saved by the grace of God, meaning something we dint deserve but could receive. And its only when man/woman understands this truth that they will understand God dint send His son Jesus to die so we could form a religion to follow a bunch of rules and laws. The Gospel is about God seeking to have a relationship with man/woman through His son so that we could share in His love as His children in Heaven.

Today my brothers and sisters search the truth and in your heart does Jesus know you by name? do you have that intimate relationship with Him? because if you don't He is desperately calling you today to share in His love. Say this short prayer: "Lord Jesus I believe you are the Son of God and died on the cross for my sins. Lord Jesus come into my heart and be lord and saviour. In Jesus name I Pray". And get to a good base Bible Church. The best is start reading the Bible.