WHAT MAKES A FATHER GLAD?
“The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.” Proverbs 10:1
Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba. After Solomon became king, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said to him, “Ask what I shall give thee”(II Chronicles 1:7). Solomon asked for an understanding heart. He knew how desperately he needed wisdom. God answered his request and gave Solomon great wisdom. As a matter of fact, people traveled a great distance to see firsthand the wisdom of David’s son. Most of the Proverbs are attributed to the writings of Solomon. We continue to be blessed and instructed by the wisdom of this great man. Our Scripture gives us a sound bit of wisdom, both for parents and children. “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.”
When I was a very young man, I did not understand the words of Solomon. I did not know how much the way I lived affected my parents. I did not know how much my foolishness broke my mother’s heart. I had no idea how much it would have meant to her if she could have seen me living the way I should have been living. Two things happened that opened my eyes and helped me see these things differently. First of all, God brought me to the place where I turned my life completely over to Him. When I got right with God, I began to see everything differently, including the way my life affected others. One of the first things that I wanted to do, in addition to pleasing God, was to be a blessing to my godly mother. It brought great joy to my life when I realized that seeing her son serving her Savior tremendously encouraged my mother.
The other thing that caused us to relate to Solomon’s words was when God blessed my wife and me with children of our own. We began to experience firsthand how much it means to see our children making the right decisions and wanting to serve the Lord with their lives. For sincere Christian parents, there is nothing in life that could even compare to the peace of seeing children choose the right paths. By contrast, there is nothing in life that causes greater heartache and “heaviness” than seeing children going the wrong direction. As parents, grandparents, and children alike, may we choose the life of wisdom and godliness, and always remember that others will be affected by the decisions we make.