Saturday 12 June, 2021

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

I’m quick to remind my kids of these verses. Not just because I want them to honour Lucinda and I but because I want them to receive the blessing attached to the command – that…

“things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

But I forget that, even though I’m not a kid anymore, I still have parents and I’m call to honour them.

Do I tell them I love them? Do I tell them often? Do I thank them for raising me? Do I pray for them regularly? Do I thank God for the spiritual legacy that they past on to me that now I am so blessed to pass on to my daughters?

Dear God, thank you so much for Rudolf and Hennie van Noppen. The blessings you have poured into my life because of my Christian patents simply can’t be measured.

Amen

Written by Boudy van Noppen