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Matters of the heart require deep thought to respond to instead of hasty reaction. After seeking prayerfully, situations that appear complex, we go to the source for answers. We know that the best counsel comes from God’s Holy Spirit, who leads and guides us towards the best outcome.
Two words come to mind; honour and respect. When you honour someone, you place them in a position of authority and you reverence that authority. You dare not talk carelessly or harshly in their presence. You dare not raise your voice or utter profane words either. You show the utmost respect and display graceful behaviour. Why? It is because their position commands such respect and responsibility.
Unless you are intoxicated or not in your right state of mind, you know better to challenge a police officer or judge. Why? They have earned the title of authority and respect. The Bible tells us in the Ten Commandments that children are to honour their parents. There are no supporting clauses for what parents aught to do for gaining that respect, but there is a direct conditional clause for children. When children obey the command to honour their parents, they are given a guarantee that life will go well with them (Deuteronomy 5:16). This means that they will prosper in what they do, they will be blessed and they will live peaceably with others.
If we unpack the word ‘honour’, we find it relates to other key action words. Honour is synonymous with obedience, respect and caring for the welfare of that person in authority, whom we esteem highly. Attached to this honour is a high level of moral worth; you honour someone who is morally upright. The common reference is ‘the man is worth his salt’. Morally upright people are said to be worth their salt and are good role models.
When you display respect towards your parents, you put their needs above yours. Respect cannot be bought; it has to be earned. Think of ways in which you can show respect for your parents…
They say a good parent is one who has unconditional love for their child. This love in its purist form is the love that God, our Heavenly Father displays to us. While we were yet sinners, He sent His Son, Jesus to die for our sins so that we could be pardoned and be in right standing with Him. Read John 3:16-17; that shows what is our Heavenly Father’s part; our part is to make right by acknowledging the wrong doing, repenting of it and changing direction. In so doing, we will be in right standing with God, who loves the sinner but hates the sin.
Why do we have so many issues of the heart, especially when they relate to the ones we love? Disobedience, sin and selfishness are trace elements that make for a bad soil in one’s heart. Very often the root of these negative elements is tied up to material things.
When our focus is on things rather than on relationships, there is a hefty price to pay. We can never get enough out of things; we want more and more. It is an insatiable goblin that soon becomes master and we become its docile slaves. It’s a trap that many people fall into and from which there is no reprieve. That is why the Lord Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24).
What do we do when we find we are between a rock and a hard place? We go to a place where we can transcend the boundaries that our situation dictates to us. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) says, “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
Matters of the heart can weigh you down heavily. Do not try to work things out on your own when you can transcend, get direction and help. You too can soar like the eagle – powerful and majestic! ◊
Linda Pearl
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