The Fifth Commandment: Obedience, Part II

I thought this piece would be appropriate to post on Mother's day.

If you are a child still living at home, this post is for you to think on.

Do you find yourself frequently at odds with your mother?

More often than not, on days when you spend most of your time at home, do you have at least one argument with your mother?

Does your mother come after you and nag you because she thinks you haven't done what you're supposed to?

Does your mother trust you?  "She ought to" doesn't count.  Does your mother actually trust you?  Does she trust you to make wise choices on how to use your time?  Does she trust you to make wise choices in your friendships?

Think about these questions.  Examine yourself.

If you are constantly arguing with your mother -- stop.  Stop arguing.  You are not supposed to argue with your mother.  Every time you do, you are wearing her out.  Every time you open your mouth to contradict her judgment, you are dishonoring her.

Submit to your mother, and do as she says, when she says.  And, lest you find yourself disobeying God, obey your mother without complaining or arguing, as the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians:

"Do everything without grumbling or disputing, so that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and pure, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation."  -- Phillipians 2:14-15

Perhaps you are thinking, "But my mother argues with me!  Even if I don't say a word, she'll ask me to do something and then give me a bunch of reasons why and make it sound like an argument.  She's so unpleasant when she comes to me and tells me to do something."

Do you know why that is?  It's because you have spent your childhood arguing with her and figuring out how to not obey her, or at least not obey her completely.  So when she comes to you she anticipates that you will try to get out of what ever she wants you to do, or not do it right away.  You have given yourself a reputation.

"Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is good and right." -- Proverbs 20:11

Your mother talks to you this way because you have given her reason, by your conduct, to not trust you to obey her.

This is not something to be defensive about.  This is something that should bring you to your knees in godly sorrow.

If you find yourself at odds with your mother, you need to make it right.  Own up to your sin.  Humble yourself before God, and confess your sin to Him.  Then -- and this will be hard -- humble yourself before your mother and ask her for her forgiveness.