Jeshurun said:
Whatever they do or say for you to do, Do IT.
While I advise all children to honor their mothers and fathers, I can not agree with obeying their instruction no matter what. There are situations where parents order their children to violate God's commandments; while they are few and far between (and likely not relevant to michaelpi's situation), they do occur and should be considered. "Always-never" statements are a very dangerous thing, especially when applied to religious instruction.
Jeshurun said:
If they freak on you sometimes its best to say nothing.
Again, I must disagree. It's one thing for a parent to angrily and loudly lecture their child. It's quite another to smack them across the face. I can't believe that Jesus was allowing for child abuse when he told his followers to "turn the other cheek." If you are in any type of abusive relationship, whether parental or spousal abuse, get out. There are many organizations, Christian and otherwise, that help people get away from those who abuse them.
And remember that Scripture says "honor," not "obey" your parents. (Again, you should obey your parents if their orders don't contradict Scripture.) You can still honor your parents after turning them into the authorities in cases of actual child abuse.
The matter of verbal abuse is more complicated and I am hesitant to even discuss it as many children feel parent's legitimate criticism (you need to work harder in school, you've been lazy in class lately, you should stop being so rude to your grandparents) constitutes verbal abuse. It does not. But if there is a clear case of verbal abuse and you are being called hateful and obscene names, then I can't believe God would ideally want you to just sit there and take it.
If you are in a situation where you are certain you are being verbally abused, find a trustworthy and mature adult, like a youth pastor, and discuss the matter. Verbal abuse is often a prelude to physical abuse; even if physical abuse does not follow, verbal abuse can be as damaging, if not more damaging, than physical abuse.
Jeshurun said:
You must learn obedience in suffering.
As long as this pertains to obeying parental commands that line up with the Word of God or at least don't directly contradict it, I agree. If a parents says a child shouldn't go see a movie because it has an R rating and all their friends still go with another adult, that can be difficult on a child. Still, that child should endure the suffering and learn obedience.
Jeshurun said:
Find a quiet place and pray for them.
I sincerely agree with this advice.
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