Probing Proverbs 10:1 The proverbs of Solomon: A wise
child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother.
This passage should make us stop and think a bit. Not because
it reveals some hidden truth that most do not understand; anyone that is a
parent gets this! What makes this truth so provocative is who the author is.
Let me deal with the obvious first and then with a more disturbing truth. All “good
and decent” parents – let’s face it; there are individuals that are so in love with
themselves, they do not have the ability to love others and they make terrible
parents, but for the most part, most of us “fallen” humans have the God given grace, that
when we see our child, a godly love comes forth, and we have great hopes for
each child.
First and foremost, if we are children of God, we desire our child
to bring honor to our Lord, Who gave them life. Second, we want them to
experience success in life for their sake, and third…if we are honest, we
want them to do well because it reflects on us. This is a balancing act that
only the Holy Spirit can keep in check. The minute we get these out of order,
damage will occur. Either all we will care about is our child’s “happiness” –
which is temporal - no matter the cost eternally…as a Pastor I have dealt with this and I
weep for some of the young men and women that have run into destruction with no
admonition from dad or mom because they did not want their child to “feel”
uncomfortable. A temporal discomfort that leads to repentance can reap eternal
benefits!
If, on the other hand, our “reputation” becomes number one…we will drive our child
away from God and ourselves. However, guided by the Spirit we can keep these in
order, and this proverb remains very true. A child that has a life based on
wisdom will bring parents great joy, because nothing is more important than my
kid being close to God. Career, money, fame, etc. – that’s
all window dressing and burns! A life close to God is the most valuable
possession in the universe! Sadly the reverse is also true, no matter the
temporal riches and fame, if my kid is away from God, a part of my life is
wounded! People who are honest will not argue with the simplicity of this truth.
What is disturbing is the knowledge of who is making this
statement. Solomon was a young man of incredible wisdom and heart, which at
first chased after God. However, we know from history that changed. His wisdom
remained, but he did not follow his own counsel. This should be a wake up call
to all of us! Starting out right does not guarantee how we will finish! Growing
older in the Lord can be a double-edged sword. Yes, we may handle trials better
and have consistent disciplines, yet if we are not careful we can become
complacent about less obvious sins and our zeal for God Himself can lose it’s
edge. I know for myself, I have seen this begin to surface in the last ten
years. The only way I have caught it is to remain open to the voice of the Holy
Spirit and face my sinful nature as the reality it is. NOTHING is more
dangerous than an attitude of “spirituality” – that will lead us straight to spiritual
pride!
Being dependant wholly on Him is the only way to continue to
grow in holiness! This keeps that edge in your life.
Ask yourself: How well do I listen to the counsel of the Word?
How can you measure that? Would obedience be the key? How well do you quiet
yourself and listen to the voice of the Lord? What does that sound like? If you
don’t
know what does that say?
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