Is It Really Possible to Honor Parents Who’ve Hurt Us?
As Christians reflect on the command to honor father and mother, we invite your voice in Crosswalk Forums.
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It’s one of the Ten Commandments—but what happens when honoring your parents brings back memories of pain, neglect, or even abuse? Many believers carry wounds from childhood or strained relationships with one or both parents. For some, the word “honor” feels like a chain, not a calling.
Yet Scripture doesn’t come with fine print. We’re still called to honor our parents—but honor doesn’t always look like blind obedience, trust without boundaries, or pretending nothing happened. Sometimes, honor begins with forgiveness. Sometimes, it looks like setting healthy limits while still choosing grace over resentment. Other times, it means offering help in practical ways even when the relationship isn’t emotionally close.
This conversation isn’t easy—but it’s needed. The gospel invites us into a radical way of living that includes honoring others not because they earned it, but because of Who we belong to.
- What does “honoring your parents” look like in a relationship that’s been fractured or painful?
- How do you balance forgiveness with healthy boundaries?
- Have you ever felt tension between obedience to God and self-protection from a harmful parent?
“Honor doesn’t mean excusing sin—it means responding with grace that flows from Jesus.”
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