A good friend just walked into my house as I was reading this chapter, looking for the verse to use in tomorrow’s (today’s) devotion. I had chuckled when I read this one, so I read it to him to see what he thought. We were both entertained by the apparent unfairness that the dad gets joy from the wise son, but the mom gets grief from the foolish son. It was a harmless laugh because we both had sons and daughters and knew that both parents receive joy from watching their children make wise decisions on their journey, especially when they wisely choose to follow Jesus. Conversely, dads are grieved as deeply as moms when their children make foolish choices. Solomon is making it clear that our choices impact others. Siblings, fellow employees, and even neighbors can suffer or celebrate based on how those traveling through life with us behave. When political leaders are wise, we are all blessed, and when they are not, we all suffer. There is no escaping the impact of our actions on others. The only person we can control is ourselves. The weight of those we impact should be added to our consideration of how we live. The pain of a child watching a parent’s sin is heart-wrenching. Our heavenly Father is saddened by our sin as well. Today, walk to please your Savior. #BeTheEdge
“so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,”Colossians 1:10 NIV
