Proverbs 6:20
As a parent,
I have often longed for my strong-willed children to memorize the verse above.
However, it is hard to expect them to behave any better than I did as a
teenager. Part of developing our independence is to challenge authority.
As usual,
Solomon is much smarter than I. And Paul elaborates in Ephesians 6:1-3: Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for
this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is
the first commandment with promise; That it may be well
with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. What a novel
idea! Honor yields long life! My wife’s grandmother lived to be almost 106 and
when questioned for her secret to long life, she quoted Paul’s verses above.
We are often
caught up in the latest health and fitness fad to lengthen our lifespan. If we
spent less time chasing after better health and more time honoring our parents,
we are promised a long life! So, the secret to long life is no secret at all –
Solomon and Paul spell it out for us in the scriptures above.
