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The next question in our Question & Answer week comes from a young woman who's facing a rather serious situation.  She's a new believer in a household that is not very welcoming to Christ.  Her parents are very anti-Christian and anti-Jesus to the point they're forbidding her to be associated with people who are Christians.  So her question to me is "how do I show respect to my parents and still pay honor to God?"

It's a tricky situation to say the least.   My heart is breaking for her because she's so fired up and wants to know so much more about Jesus and God and His word yet Satan is using her parents to try and drive her as far away from the Lord as possible.  (Now, her salvation is solid and Satan knows he cannot take that away from her but he can try to stunt her growth in the Lord as much as possible.)

Most people...even those who are not Christians...are familiar with Exodus 20:12 (ESV): "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you."  That Old Testament truth is still shown in the New Testament through Jesus when He did things like honoring His mother at the wedding feast where He made water into wine. 

Yet Jesus also said in Luke 14:26 (ESV) "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."  That appears, on the surface, to say that if you want to follow Jesus you have to suddenly hate mom and dad and would you honor someone whom you hate?  It seems like a conflict in terms.

On the surface, it is.  If your mother and father told you to stop worshipping Jesus and you refused to do so then you are not honoring their wishes.  However, what Jesus is saying is that you need to have Him first in everything you do in your life.  In doing that, you'll be showing love to everyone else because in seeking to be like Christ you'll show them the love that Jesus shows to you. 

Now, this means listening to your parents to a point. 

Remember that when Jesus was a child and his parents found him in the temple and commanded Jesus to come with them that Jesus left "His father's house."  He went with them and did not begin his public ministry until many years later.  While He was still putting God first in His life, he showed respect to His mother and father.

In your case, you have to do a similar thing.  While your parents could keep you from going to church, hanging out with Christian friends or even reading your Bible there's one thing they cannot stop you from doing and that's praying.  You can talk to God anytime, anywhere.  In this, you're doing the most basic act of worship and service to the Lord in honoring Him first in all you do.

Now, if you're faced with your parents trying to make you renounce the Lord or do something that goes directly against the Scriptures, you refuse.  Yes, it may drive a wedge between you and your parents.  You could even find yourself being thrown from your home.  In the end, devotion to Jesus is more important than anything else in your life.  In doing that, you're honoring your Father.