Making Daddy Proud

Proverbs 1


Men, what do we want from our children? No doubt we want obedience, respect, and a listening ear. We want our children to understand, learn and grow from our engagement with them. We want them to grow up to be skilled in living in a way that honors God. Why, because we love them and want the best for them.


This is God's desire for us as well. He uses the voice of Wisdom in Proverbs to beckon us down a path of wise living. Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares (v. 20). She is joined by similar traits that closely parallel wisdom such as discipline, understanding, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord, or reverence for God,(1:7) is the controlling principle for applying these wisdom principles. Will we be wise children who listen and learn? Will we be skilled in living in a way that honors God? Whoever listens to God will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm (1:33).


Men, let's live skillfully for the honor of our God. Let's make our Dad proud!

A Woman Worthy of Emulation

Proverbs 31

This is the classic chapter describing a virtuous woman who fears the Lord. What can we learn as men from this woman's example? Plenty! Here are some of the qualities you find in this woman's life that should also be part of our life if we are men who fear the Lord. She was decisive, diligent, hard working, self-sacrificing, disciplined, organized, forward thinking, a planner, strong, skilled, creative, thoughtful of others, strived for quality and excellence in what she did, was wise, dignified, consistent and feared the Lord. This is the kind of person who is to be praised and rewarded.