I’ve mentioned yesterday that I’ve appreciated my reading of Proverbs. I got excited about one in particular yesterday and shared it with David. It’s got a great visual image that I needed as I went through my day. Here it is:
Proverbs 15:19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.
It’s easy for me to be lazy, but when I make that choice, I am building a fence of thorns that hinder me in so many ways. When the house is not clean, I don’t invite someone over, I don’t take the children out to the zoo, I don’t allow them to participate in cleaning or cooking, I don’t cook as I ought, and so on. The choices I make in my house directly affects my ability to rear my children. This is one of my biggest struggles right now. I know what is right, but I desperately need God’s grace and help to do it.
I can also be lazy in my child rearing, and limit my relationship and influence with my children, or I can be diligent, and make the road much easier. As my friend says, we can take the quick route, or we can see the depth and breadth of the road ahead of us, and take the time to do it right. Taking the time her daughter needs actually creates more opportunities to disciple her. Bravo!
You really hit the nail on the head when you say that “laziness limits our relationship and influence with our children”. Great insight.
It’s no wonder Solomon was the wisest man on earth. Proverbs is one book incredibly relevant to our lives, so I’m glad God preserved some of his knowledge for us.