By: Greg Laurie

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”—Exodus 20:12

It has been said that a family can survive without a nation, but a nation cannot survive without the family. God established the family by bringing a man and a woman together in marriage. Then came children and grandchildren. That is His order.

The Bible tells us, however, that in the last days there will be an attack on the family. One of the signs of the end times will be a lack of respect for one’s parents. We read in 2 Timothy 3, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (verses 1–2).
We have certainly lost sight of God’s commandment to “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12). Notice the commandment is to honor your fatherand mother—not honor your father and father, or your mother and mother, or your mother and her live-in lover or partner. We tamper with God’s order at our own peril.

Know this: Satan always hates what God loves. God loves the family. He established the marriage of a man and woman as a physical representation of His love for the church and the church’s love for Him. God effectively says, “You want to know how much I love my people? Look at the way that Christian man loves his wife. You want to know how much My people love Me? Look at the way that Christian woman loves her husband. This is my model. This is my example for all of you to observe.” Therefore it should come as no surprise that the devil would try to undermine the family.