Proverbs 15.20
“A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish man despises his mother.”
This verse is an echo of Proverbs 10.1 and 17.25: “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother… A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bore him.”
How we behave affects our parents. And while the good news is that walking in wisdom makes our fathers proud, the bad news is that our foolishness in particular grieves our mothers. This is because our mothers birthed us into the world and cared for us continuously in our early years of growth. There is a special, intimate bond between a mom and her children.
To reject the standards of our parents and turn our backs on the path that they taught us to follow is heartbreaking for mothers. Moms did not raise and nurture us to be foolish. Indeed, when we were infants, toddlers, and little children, our mothers protected us from harming ourselves.
Brenda and I have two grandchildren, and whenever we visit or they visit us, we spend no small amount of time protecting the grandkids from doing anything foolish or harmful. They are toddlers, so they don’t know that some of the things they do are dangerous. They’re just playing and exploring their world. Nevertheless, we need to protect them.
But as they get older, the expectation is that they take ownership of their actions; become aware of their surroundings; recognize and avoid what is dangerous or harmful or risky. The expectation is they will learn the right path through life and stay on that path.
If they are foolish and reject the teaching and direction of their parents and grandparents, well… that would be heartbreaking and exceedingly sorrowful.
When God our Father sees the way we live and work, he is greatly pleased when we are wise, and greatly wounded when we are foolish. He expects us to be spiritually mature adults who stay on path, not “adult toddlers” who act foolishly.
Proverbs 15.21
“Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.”
The emotions of a fool are out of alignment with what is right. Fools rejoice not in wisdom, but in their stupidity. Why? Because they lack sense. They are attracted to and entertained by foolish, stupid things. They are adult toddlers.
A man of understanding, on the other hand, is both knowledgeable and competent. As a result, his way is straight; that is, he doesn’t have the self-created obstacles that the fool has to navigate.
This is a similar message to verse 19 just a few verses earlier: “The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.” Fools create obstacles, problems, and difficulties on their chosen path through life. Indeed, the way of a fool is filled with problems.
Wise people choose a way that is level and straight. They don’t take detours into paths of darkness. They don’t get distracted or deceived by the lies of the enemy.
Trust God and walk straight.
