Ephesians 6 tells children something simple: obey your parents. Paul says it is right. Then he adds something kind. He calls it the first commandment with a promise. God attached a gift to it: things will go well with you. You will enjoy long life on the earth. That is not a magic trick. It is a father's good plan.
Think about why your mum or dad calls you. It is not to spoil your fun. When Mum calls for dinner, she has made something warm. When Dad says, "Hold my hand at the road," he sees the cars before you do. Their call is a way of keeping you close.
Obeying right away says something back to them. It says, "I trust you." And it says it to God too, because He put them there.
Today, try this. When someone asks you to do something, do it right away. Say, "Okay!" Do not grumble. Do not wait for a third call. Just go. That is small, but it is real.
🎯Listening to Mum & Dad
Say Yes and Go Right Away
Listening to Mum and Dad keeps us safe and close
November 6, 20263 min readNIV
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 6:1-3 (NIV)
Obey parents
Today's Story
✍️Fictitious Story
Mateo sat on the floor of the flat with his toy buses lined up in a long row. He was racing them along the edge of the mat. One bus carried a tiny driver. Another had a cracked window from a real fall.
"Mateo, dinner time," Mum called from the kitchen.
Mateo pushed the cracked bus forward. "One more race," he said.
Mum came to the doorway. "The rice is hot. Come and eat."
Mateo looked at his buses. He wanted to keep playing. Then he remembered his father had said this morning, "When we call you, it means we want you near us."
Mateo stood up. He set the bus down gently. "Okay, Mum," he said, and he went to the table.
Dad was already there. He pulled out Mateo's chair. The rice was warm, and nobody had to call him twice.
Reflection
Think About It
• Is there something you keep doing when someone calls you, instead of going right away? • What would it look like to say "Okay!" the first time today?
Prayer
Father, sometimes I want to keep playing and I do not want to stop. Sometimes I grumble when I am called. Yet I will trust You. Help me to say yes and go right away, because You put my family near me. I love You, God. Amen.
Live It Out
When someone asks you to do something today, say "Yes!" and do it right away.