Disobedience

Today in my bible reading I came across a section I hadn't really noticed before.  I mean, of course I had read it plenty of times, but for some reason it seemed like something I had never read before.

Romans 1:28-32 says "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.  They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do the but give approval to those who practice them."

Well, of course we are supposed to be obedient to our parents, I mean, not only was it one of the 10 commandments, but it is also repeated in the New Testament.  Obedience is implied in Matthew 22:39, "and a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself."  We are to love and respect others as we would like to be loved and respected or how we would love and respect (and treat) ourselves.  I personally feel that this would imply obedience to parents.

More clearly stated, we see that Ephesians 6:1-3 says "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother' (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land."  We are promised that if we honor our parents, things may go well with us.  Now, what exactly does it mean to "honor" our parents? Lets see what Webster has to say about it, shall we?  One definition is "a showing of usually merited respect," such as recognition. Another definition is "a gesture of deference," and the example was to bow. I personally liked how Bakers Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology put it, "While honor is an internal attitude of respect, courtesy, and reverence, it should be accompanied by appropriate attention or even obedience. Honor without such action is incomplete; it is lip service."

Back to Romans.  Most people would come up with many of these things if they were asked to make a list of things that were "sins."  Action sins are often rather obvious, while the internal sins of thought and attitude are a lot more difficult to perceive. I often don't even realize when I am sinning inwardly.  Fortunately I have learned to realize when I am having an inward attitude problem and check is for a better outlook. 

Wow, back to Romans again.  (I tend to think about way too many things at once, which leads me on a tangent around and I end up writing about those other random thoughts instead of what I set out to think about.)  Anyways... many people don't look at honoring and obeying their parents as important, or as something they need to put time into, but for me, it's really important.  I end up seeking my parents advice and council about nearly every big move I make in my like, and even though I don't always get the advice or instruction that I hope for, I know that they are truly seeking to help me make the most God honoring decision, as well as what's best for me.

Anyways, all that from reading a few chapters in Romans today for my devotions.  Funny how something so small as a verse can spark something as big as this thought tangent of mine.