The Fifth Commandment

The fifth commandment given by God can be found in Exodus 20:12. This commandment teaches how one's relationship with his/her parents ought to be according to the will of God.

What does it mean?

It means to obey, respect, and love our parents. You can obey without having respect, and you can respect without loving, but only if you have all the three you are honoring your parents.

God Blesses those who Obey this Commandment

This is the first commandment that comes with a condition. The second half of the verse teaches us that there’s a reward for us if we obey it: "...that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.".

Conclusion

In a way, honoring your parents also means honoring God. Your parents were given to you by God, and the authority they have over you now was also given by Him. So, if you disobey your parents, it means you are disobeying God. However, if you do obey them, it means that you are obeying God too.

It is also important to note that believers also ought to know that if their parents are acting against the will of God, they are supposed to obey God rather than their parents. Parents are a form of earthly authority over us (as government, for example), but their authority does not supersede God’s. One example of this can be found in Acts 5:29. The Apostles were preaching Christ to the people, and they were told by the high priest and other Jews to not do so. Peter’s response to it is right on: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29b).