Transformed – teen devotion – July 5, 2020
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 go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Ephesians 6:2-3
Serving Christ boldly . . . in my family
This July, WELS teens from across our country—and the world—were to be still basking in the glow of the WELS International Youth Rally scheduled at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN June 23-27. As we know all too well, that didn’t happen. Instead, the world stopped. Our schedules were interrupted. Instead of traveling with friends to an exciting college town to praise our God in worship, study his word, and have a whole lot of fun, we spent most of the summer cooped up in our homes with Mom and/or Dad.
And that’s okay! God never promises us that we will have no troubles in life. He does clearly tell us, though, “obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” He does tell us “Honor your father and mother. . . .” I haven’t always done this throughout my life. You haven’t, either. We’ve failed our God in failing to not only obey, but also in failing to honor and love the imperfect representatives he has placed over us in life.
What an opportunity we have to serve Christ boldly by remedying these failures and responding to God’s grace by becoming a better son, a more helpful daughter, a young person who truly honors our God by honoring our parents. We do this in worship of the One who gave himself for us. We do this knowing that our sins are forgiven. We do this knowing our God has called us his own children and declared us to be heirs of eternal life.
Prayer: Lord Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me. Thank you for giving me family in my life that love me as well. Guide me to always love as you have loved me. Help me to honor and obey my parents, not just because I have to, but because I want to as a response to your tender care for my soul. In your name I pray this and all things. Amen.
