After Burn: In charge (week 2)

Last night we talked about the parent - teenager relationship.  Even though we mentioned obeying our parents, we talked more about honoring them.  The idea of 'honor' is pretty rare today.  Sometimes you hear about honoring the memory of someone who has died.  But it seems that honor is most talked about in the military.  But honoring our parents?  It's practically unheard of.  Yet God tells us to do it, and He says it's for our good to honor them. 

So, how do you know when you are honoring your parents?  It's easy when you have talked with them about certain areas.  Don't do drugs.  Don't smart off to your teachers.  Don't mess with your sister.  But what if they haven't spoken about a specific subject or situation?  Should you call them to ask what they think?  Should you guess?  How do you know what will honoring or dishonoring?  To help, here are some questions to ask yourself.

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• What is important to my parents? - Answering this will help you remember what your parents value.  You get under the surface to the heart.  And if it's important to your parents, then you should consider that when making decisions. 
  
• How would they feel if they found out about my actions?  - Imagining their reaction.  Would they be proud?  Embarrassed?  Angry?  Laughing?  It probably won't take long for you to get a feeling for what you should do. 
  
• If they found out, how would I explain why I did what I did? - This will help with your own thoughts.  It will help you think through the reasons you are thinking about what you should do. 
  

There are other questions you can ask, but this should get you started in the right direction.  Truthfully, if you're honestly trying to figure out what will honor your parents, God is going to speak to you.  And more often than not, the hard question to answer won't be "what honors my parents" but "will I honor them?"