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Family Honor By Robert Berendt While our family name is important, it is not the only name that we must honor and protect.
e were late -- my dad had trusted me to drive the family car to Cadomin for a dance, and we were getting home late, really late. The family car was loaded with boys and girls from the dance, and one boy asked if we could drive him home (about 25 miles away). We did, but two flat tires and a bad road delayed us. Usually, we would have dropped off all the girls and just the boys would be left. This time the girls wanted to come for the drive; and as it turned out, it was about 6:30 a.m. when my friend Del and I dropped the last girl off at her home. It was late!
My dad was waiting for me! I knew I was in trouble since he usually slept in on Sunday. My greatest fear was losing the privilege of driving the car because this gave me great leverage with my friends. I should hasten to add that we were a pretty innocent bunch of teens. Anyway, I began nervously spluttering on about what had happened with the tires and road when my dad stopped me and said, "Louie was here this morning on his way to work." That explained why my dad was up so early -- Louie's daughter was the last girl we dropped off!
Living up to the name I have tried to live up to that trust all of my life. Though I cannot say I succeeded 100 percent of the time (to my own satisfaction), when my dad died 43 years ago, he knew that the family name was important to me. My sisters and my brother have also tried to be positive members of our family. I know my parents worried more than they ever said; and as a parent, years later, I've come to know the feeling. Our children are sort of an extension of ourselves. They are a reflection of our beliefs and successes or failures. They represent all we are and all we have. The Fifth Commandment states that we should honor our mother and father. Proverbs 10:1 states, "A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother." Proverbs 15:20 tells us that "a wise son makes a father glad, but a foolish man despises his mother." Proverbs 17:25 tells us that "a foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him."
It is important to note that God refers to His chosen people as sons and daughters. In 2 Corinthians 6:18 God states, "I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty." God the Father must have been filled with tenderness and love when He was able to state that Jesus was "My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). It must have given God a great deal of pleasure to have trust and confidence in Job. This book has always fascinated me. When God confidently told His adversary that Job was "a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil" (Job 1:8), God expressed His pleasure. Satan was allowed to severely afflict Job, yet Job would not curse God or shame his Creator. What a victory was won that day! When we disappoint God places trust in His children, just as my father did in me those many years ago. That trust is calculated, since God knows we are human. Humans can make mistakes. David was a hand-picked child of God. He was selected while yet a shepherd and given great blessings, position and power. He was also taught about God and His laws. David slipped one day; he forgot who he was and what he represented.
Parents are merciful and loving. They are forgiving, even if the pain caused by the child is great. God is the perfect parent and He knows how to "fix" a problem. None of His children are perfect, but they are learning to be like Him. Part of that is to accept the responsibility to uphold the family honor. The book of 1 John explains how the love of God has cleansed us from sin and released us from the grip of God's adversary. Chapter 1, verses 6 and 7 tell us that if we walk in "darkness" we are lying and not practicing the truth. If we walk in "the light as He is in the light," we are cleansed from sin through Jesus Christ and have fellowship, or brotherhood, with Him. We are a family. Humans are destined to be children of God, and we shall be "like Him" (1 John 3:1-2). In our human families, we carry the traits of our parents. The relationship with our Heavenly Father will be much deeper and much clearer. Our "family" will be close, and each one will bear the responsibility of "family honor" with dignity and perfection. Giving honor to our Father Some say that actions speak louder than words, and I guess they do. I recall the life of my father and his determination to take care of the family. I remember him going back to the mines after cave-ins and explosions that nearly claimed his life and did take the lives of others. I remember him working until he had no strength left when he was dying of cancer.
Now I look forward to the revealing of the great family of God. I want to do my part to give dignity and honor to Him. I want my life to reflect His trust and love. I want to carry His name with the honor it deserves. I do not want Him to be ashamed. God is our Father and the Church is our mother. The precious blood of His Son is one of the many gifts He has given. His name is another. May we all live carefully and joyfully with the responsibility and trust we have been given. Let's do our best to uphold the honor of our personal family and the honor of God's family! For more information about how God is building His family, read . Copyright 2009 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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Origin of article "Family Honor"
Keywords: honor family honor trust good name dissappoint
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