The Rebellious, The Foolish, and The Wise, Proverbs 17

" . . . and parents are the pride of their children."

Proverbs 17:6


"I'm Watching You Dad"

I love being a dad. I enjoyed watching this video that I found on GodTube.com As a test, I watched with my daughter. Her take? It was "Weird!" - children.

Writing daily analysis of Proverbs is challenging. I find that I have to search, pray, and seek out the meaning for the day or one that reveals itself as I read the Proverbs for the day. As I read over Proverbs 17, I continued to focus on the theme of rebellion, foolishness, restraint, judgment, knowledge, and justice. Much of it seemed to lead to back to parenting.

We are in the midst of a culture war in America. Many in our culture lack parental instruction and guidance. Many of the rebellious and foolishness may even come from Christian homes. Generational failures have happened throughout history.

As Christians, we may be failing to connect with our children and equipping our offspring with the justice and wisdom offered in the bible.

I realize that I must live out the example for my children and that has its own perils (I know I fail daily). How will they learn right from wrong from my wife and I and others in our family? Will they themselves choose the wise path?

Fortunately, our father in Heaven calls us his children and he is our pride. He wants the best for us and has already shown us an example in Jesus Christ. How will we lead the next generation and answer the challenges of a rebellious and foolish culture? We are called to be wise and we have a helper in the Holy Spirit. Our children grow up fast, will we be their pride?


"Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman

Proverbs 17:15 - "Acquitting the guilty and condeming the innocent - the Lord hates them both."

We live in a time where the guilty seem to go free and the laws are made for the criminals. We have seen righteous judges be challenged by the culture and taken down for their judgment. The war on righteousnes is a sign of a populace that lacks wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 17:24 - "A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even tempered."

We are judged by what we say and how we say it. That requires us to think about the people we are talking too. In sales, salespeople are taught to ask questions of the prospect. Get them talking and they will tell you everything you need to know to make the sale.

Proverbs 17:28 - "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tounge."

I enjoy when my eldest daughter cautions the younger to keep her mouth shut. She says, "Shut up Kenna, you are going to get us in more trouble." Even a child knows when to keep the situation cool. I also enjoy when I ask my children a thought provoking question and see them think about their answer. One of those answers I hope to give them is "I don't know." Better to say you don't know and get the right answer.

On Mission, On Assignment, and in the ZONE!

Andy Valadez
e-mail: andy@marketingdynamics.org