In about AD 60, while a prisoner for his faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Ephesus. He wrote concerning several topics and one of them was marriage and family life. He writes (sounding a little like the Proverbs):
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)
Then in 5:22-6:4 he defines what this looks like in relation to marriage and family life, all in the light of what he writes just prior to these words, which is, Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (5:21) Understanding this need for mutual submission, he then writes:
Wives, submit to your husbands… husbands love your wives… children obey your parents in the Lord… honour your father and mother… Father’s do not exasperate your children, instead bringing them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (5:22, 25; 6:1-4)
Sadly, in western society in the 21st Century we have moved a long way from the simplicity of this teaching of interdependence into a very individualistic mindset, and this to the detriment of personal, family, community and society life generally. In its place has arisen toxic philosophies bent on destroying the very fabric of families and society. What Paul described above when he said that the days are evil.
In relation to this topic, the very first verse of chapter 14 is relevant:
The wise woman builds her house,
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
What a picture! On the one hand, we have the wise woman giving her time, energy and desire towards making her house (or home) into the best it can be for the benefit and blessing of her husband and children. Then, on the other hand we have the foolish woman living selfishly, with little concern for the others in her home, resulting in her home becoming a disaster area.
Consider the contrasts between such people:
Which home would you rather to live in? The author of Proverbs summarizes the situation as follows.
Home:
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
How many homes are being destroyed today due to the breakdown of marriages (if the couple are even married at all), domestic violence and abuse, etc.? How many are really flourishing?
26 Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,
and for their children it will be a refuge.
How many children today really feel safe in the homes and still consider it to be a place of refuge, particularly in the light of new definitions of what a “family” is?
Society generally:
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin condemns any people.
History reveals that a nation often stands or falls on the basis of its justice, morality and the basic structure of a happy family life. Remembering Jesus words, do to others what you would have them do to you. (Matthew 7:12) [see last Post]
And finally:
12 There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.
Maybe, it is time to STOP! Stop believing anything (v. 15) Time to re-think where we are going, where we have gone wrong and what we are doing to ourselves and our families. Time to consider the truths of the Proverbs and the other teachings of the Bible. Time to, as Paul says,
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)
Worship and Wisdom - Psalms and Proverbs 