Col 3:20 “Children, obey~~ your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord.”
One of the most disliked words in any language is the word obey. It goes against our fallen nature, which nearly always makes us do what we shouldn’t do. Unfortunately, every social structure is built on obedience. In God’s plan, obedience is to be learned in the family.
The word children is a general word for “offspring without specific reference to sex or age.” The term refers to any child living in the home and/or dependent on the parents. The command form means to “continually be obeying.” By definition, the word means to “hear, hearken with stillness or attention, or yield to a superior force, even without necessarily being willing.”
Since the passage is directed to the children it is evident that they were meant to listen to this text as it was read in the church assembly as part of the worship service. By learning obedience, honor is given to God’s word and to the parents. A submissive response to the word as a family is the most profound of worship attitudes.
Parents are to continually instruct children, who are to listen and obey their wisdom (Prov 1:8): “My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother” (6:20).
One of the characteristics of the unsaved and ungodly, especially at the end of the age, is disobedience to parents: “Men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy” (2 Tim 3:2).
The general limitation set in Colossians 3:20 is “in everything”—-unless a demand is contrary to God’s commands in His word.
The motive for learning obedience is to be “well–pleasing to the Lord.” Practically speaking, one is seldom more obedient to the Lord than he is to his parents. How easy is it for you to yield to authority?
“Our loving Lord, as children, we need Your help to make it our main focus to please You. Please help us be obedient children who honor our parents in all things.”