Ephesians: Children, Honor Your Father and Mother
Ephesians 6:1-3, Deuteronomy 5:16 - The family is the starting point for a lifetime of honor and obedience and respect.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.”
Ephesians 6:1-3 NASB1995
I just love the AI image that Steve requested for these three verses. This is a beautiful family that obviously loves each other and the three children respect and honor their parents.
Why is it so hard these days for people to understand humility, obedience and honor, especially honoring those who gave us life and sacrificed for our well-being, like our parents? I see so many children misbehaving in stores and restaurants and on airplanes and talking back to their parents or having tantrums when those parent try to restore some semblance of order. I see sullen teenagers rolling their eyes (guilty as charged), instead of listening to the life stories and learning from their parents and grandparents. Those sullen teenagers are now glued to their smart device screens, totally ignoring their families and friends.
I shamefully dishonored my parents many times during my adolescence and continuing into a rebellious early adulthood. When I look back on these actions, I try to determine why I did these things and the closest rationale I can come up with is that I was afraid I would be asked to do something for them (I didn’t want to be bothered). Oh, Lord, how painful to recognize this selfishness!
Gotquestions.org has a really good explanation for why we should honor our mother and father:
Honoring your father and mother is being respectful in word and action and having an inward attitude of esteem for their position. The Greek word for honor means “to revere, prize, and value.” Honor is giving respect not only for merit but also for rank. For example, some Americans may disagree with the President’s decisions, but they should still respect his position as leader of their country. Similarly, children of all ages should honor their parents, regardless of whether or not their parents “deserve” honor.
God exhorts us to honor father and mother. He values honoring parents enough to include it in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12) and again in the New Testament: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:1-3). Honoring parents is the only command in Scripture that promises long life as a reward. Those who honor their parents are blessed (Jeremiah 35:18-19). In contrast, those with a “depraved mind” and those who exhibit ungodliness in the last days are characterized by disobedience to parents (Romans 1:30; 2 Timothy 3:2).
Solomon, the wisest man, urged children to respect their parents (Proverbs 1:8; 13:1; 30:17). Although we may no longer be directly under their authority, we cannot outgrow God’s command to honor our parents. Even Jesus, God the Son, submitted Himself to both His earthly parents (Luke 2:51) and His heavenly Father (Matthew 26:39). Following Christ’s example, we should treat our parents the way we would reverentially approach our heavenly Father (Hebrews 12:9; Malachi 1:6).
Obviously, we are commanded to honor our parents, but how? Honor them with both actions and attitudes (Mark 7:6). Honor their unspoken as well as spoken wishes. “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke” (Proverbs 13:1). In Matthew 15:3-9, Jesus reminded the Pharisees of the command of God to honor their father and mother. They were obeying the letter of the law, but they had added their own traditions that essentially overruled it. While they honored their parents in word, their actions proved their real motive. Honor is more than lip service. The word “honor” in this passage is a verb and, as such, demands a right action.We should seek to honor our parents in much the same way that we strive to bring glory to God—in our thoughts, words, and actions. For a young child, obeying parents goes hand in hand with honoring them. That includes listening, heeding, and submitting to their authority. After children mature, the obedience that they learned as children will serve them well in honoring other authorities such as government, police, and employers.
While we are required to honor parents, that doesn’t include imitating ungodly ones (Ezekiel 20:18-19). If a parent ever instructs a child to do something that clearly contradicts God’s commands, that child must obey God rather than his/her parents (Acts 5:29).
Honor begets honor. God will not honor those who will not obey His command to honor their parents. If we desire to please God and be blessed, we should honor our parents. Honoring is not easy, is not always fun, and certainly is not possible in our own strength. But honor is a certain path to our purpose in life—glorifying God. “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord” (Colossians 3:20).
Civility begins with respecting and honoring others; this grows from parents to employers to government leaders. The military would fall apart without obedience and recognized hierarchies and at least the attempt at honor through a proper salute. Instead of finding as many faults as possible just because the President is not someone you wanted elected (this goes both ways, by the way), it might behoove some citizens to put down their doom-scrolling devices and quit their echo chambers, conspiracy theories, and foul language and try to see something that has been done that might actually be good. We are a long ways right now from civility and are actually bordering on insurrection and anarchy; this can probably be traced back to children who had no discipline and always got their way.
Honoring parents is attached to a promise that things will be well and the child may have a long life. Here is the commandment from Deuteronomy:
“‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.”
Deuteronomy 5:16 NASB1995
Warren Weirsbe has an interesting take on this promise, as quoted in Precept Austin:
Wiersbe writes that live long "does not mean that everyone who died young dishonored his parents. He was stating a principle: when children obey their parents in the Lord, they will escape a good deal of sin and danger and thus avoid the things that could threaten or shorten their lives. But life is not measured only by quantity of time. It is also measured by quality of experience. God enriches the life of the obedient child no matter how long he may live on the earth. Sin always robs us; obedience always enriches us. (Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)
There’s the key - obedience to God and following His precepts is what enriches us, no matter how many days we are granted.
My next devotional examines Ephesians 6:4 - Fathers, don’t provoke your sons into anger.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Please forgive me for my selfishness and stubbornness towards my parents. They gave so much and loved me and I love them (and am so grateful to know that they loved You). Amen.
Citations and Credits:
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.
Precept Austin was accessed on 06/14/2026 to review commentary for Ephesians 6:1-3.
Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. Enduring Word commentary was not used for this devotional.
Gotquestions.org was accessed on 06/14/2026 to answer the question, What does it mean to honor my father and mother? © COPYRIGHT 2002-2026 GOT QUESTIONS MINISTRIES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.