A Life in Exile

Within this first chapter of the book of Proverbs, the Lord of Wisdom gives us a foundational principle where we find guidance for right living. Look at these two verses:

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. (Proverbs 1:8-9 ESV)

Wisdom begins at home

From the very beginning, God placed men in families. Remember why he created Eve from Adam’s rib? Because he saw that it was not good for man to be alone (See Genesis 2:18). The creation of the first family set the template for all societies to come. The building block for every town, city, and nation is the family. There is a beautiful verse in the Psalms to indicate the important role of the family.

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home (Psalm 68:5-6a).

Adam would have been lonely without Eve. Children need parents. God gives us families to bless, shelter, and give us a sense of the belonging we will have in eternity with Him.

While the wisdom of God and His Word is far greater, there is an important wisdom gained through the day-in-day-out lessons learned under the watchcare and teaching of mothers and fathers. The guidance we receive from parents is to our benefit and betterment. It is a well-established fact that children raised in two-parent homes are generally more stable and productive in life. How much more for those children raised in homes where mothers and fathers are grounded in God’s Word?

But children must listen and follow

The writer knew that the enticement of the world would be strong for children and young people. How many of us, who have been parents, know the struggle and pushback we get from children as they grow and hear conflicting messages? It’s a powerful pull for a child to disregard a parent’s words and go their own way.

That’s why Solomon told his son to hear his instructions. Fathers have been around the block a few times in life by the time they have children. Many have paid the price of disobedience to their own parents and know the cost. Not only that, they are invested in their child. This small person is a part of them. They love them without condition. So, why should a son not hear and heed his father’s instruction?

Not only is wisdom from fathers important, but mothers contribute as well. As the primary caregiver, mothers are constantly teaching their children the dos and don’ts of life. Many mothers are the ones who speak God’s Word into the lives of their children on a personal level, while fathers may do it in a more formal setting. Both are important in the lives of their children.

Just as we have free will in relation to God, we have free will in relation to our parents. We are responsible for listening to them and not forgetting all we’ve learned from them.

The wisdom we take with us

When a young person goes out into the world, what do they have to take with them besides the lessons learned at the feet of their parents? That is why Solomon describes the teaching of fathers and mothers as graceful garlands and pendants. These are marks of our family that go with us throughout the rest of our lives.

I remember sitting with my paternal grandmother, who lived with us during my growing-up years. She would tell me about her life, and as a young girl, I remember her constantly with the Bible in her lap. My father, her son, was the same way. He was a man of God’s Word because his mother was. I want my sons and grandchildren to remember me in the same way—a person immersed in God’s wisdom, so that I can pass on wisdom to them.

That heritage for me is like a beautiful garland on my head or a pendant on a chain around my neck. It is the wisdom I chose to take with me when I left home.

The knowledge we receive as we fear the Lord starts at home. I pray that we, as Christians, will acknowledge and support the important role of the family in the teaching of God’s wisdom.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Friday Focus post, which was the introduction to Walking in Wisdom, click HERE.