Today's Passage - Col 3:20

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Colossians 3:20   Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.   Paul has taught us on how to support one another in different types of interpersonal relationships in a series.  You might think these are redundant, because in the society back in the days of male superiority and slave trading, how could there be wives who don't submit to the husbands and children who don't obey the parents?  Why does Paul have to be teaching these things?  That is because Paul genuinely understood the weaknesses of human nature; even though we are in position of submissiveness, we may not be obeying from our hearts.  Paul taught us, in the verse 23, that "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."  Obeying is not to follow blindly, but to respect.  Even if we have opinions and perspectives that are different from those of our parents, we should gladly accept them.   Jesus entered the temple at the age of 12, and His heart was attracted by God's Word, so He stayed there to study with the teachers.  His parents looked for Him on the road for three days but could not find Him, until they returned to the temple and saw Him sitting there.  His mother told him: "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."  Jesus replied to them: "Why were you searching for me?...  Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"  Jesus clearly reminded Maria that He is the son of God, but at the same time He didn't not reject His mother.  The Bible says that He obeyed His physical parents and went back to Nazareth with them.   Jesus demonstrated his obedience to His parents in many ways.  He respected the will of His parents, thus we should respect our parents as well.  In the nucleus families of modern time, on the one hand we are stressing that man must leave his parents to unite with his wife, the two establishing a new family, and this family must be independent from the authority of the parents.  On the other hand, we must respect parents, do our best to make them happy, because one day you will be parents too.  The Bible says that "honor your father and mother - which is the first commandment with a promise - that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."  When you respect your parents, your children will respect you, to make you happy and increase you life.   Of course there will be times when our ways are not accepted by our parents, but even when that happens we must respect our parents.  Don't forget that the key to this passage is that "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."  This is the source of strength in our life!    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, I think you because you have set an example for obedience.  I ask that you once again pour down your love from your throne to all of us who are parents and children, so that the hearts of the parents will turn to the children, and hearts of children will turn to the parents.  May your spirit give us strength so that we may live by you everyday.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!