Book of Malachiنموونە

HONORING THE LORD 

You shall rise before the gray-headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:32)

Some traditions in the nations teach people about honoring those who are older. The word of God also teaches us to honor our parents. 

Christianity is the only religion that teaches its followers that they are allowed to call God their Father. This shows a close relationship between us and God. This close relationship does not mean that we can do whatever we like, as God's children. We can be close and intimate with the Father, but we must also maintain the right attitude before the Father.

In this day and age, many children have little respect for their parents. This doesn't mean that we can always blame them because sometimes this attitude is caused by the parents who do not love their children. The parents do not care and love their children because they are busy with their world. Because of this reason, many children lose the attention of their fathers and mothers and end up looking for attention from the world. This causes their souls to rebel, their hearts to become hard, and they do not have respect for the Lord.We will not be able to have an attitude that honors the Lord if we cannot honor our parents. 

Some people find it difficult to call God as Father because their relationship with their fathers in this world has not yet been restored. Whenever they want to call God as Father, the hatred and revenge towards their worldly father will come because of their father's actions that appear in their minds. What do they have to do? They must repent of their hatred and release forgiveness for their parents, particularly to their fathers.

The lesson that we can take from Malachi, chapter 1, is that we must respect the people in front of us as evidence that we honor God whom we cannot see with our physical eyes. Let us live in mutual respect for one another, try to live in peace with all people, and live in holiness as a sign that we honor God who surrounds us with His Spirit. Fearing the Lord refers to holiness. We are called to abstain from corrupt acts and, instead, pursue holiness as a sign of honor for the Lord.

The Father shows His love, faithfulness, and justice to those who fear Him.