Proverbs 10:1-8: The Way of Wisdom and the Path to Righteousness

“The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother (Prov 10:1)”

At the beginning of chapter 10, Solomon emphasizes the impact wise and poor choices have on family dynamics. For instance, a son who makes wise choices such as seeking knowledge, learning from mistakes, cultivating patience, and practicing gratitude are going to bring joy to his father. On the contrary, poor life choices, unfulfilled potential, strained relationships, and emotional burdens can bring grief to the mother.

In today’s world, here are a few examples of wise choices and poor choices in the following areas: finance, career, health, relationships, environment, technology, education, and ethics.

A wise choice for finances would be to save and invest money for the future. A foolish choice is to live beyond one’s means and accumulate debt. Unfortunately, the latter is what most people fall prey to and Scripture makes it clear to avoid this. For example, Romans 13:8 says, “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.”

A wise career choice is to pursue education or training in a field that has high demand and growth potential. A poor choice is to choose a path that has limited job prospects or low earning potential. That being said, if one has a deep passion for a particular area, such as the arts, I believe it’s still wise to pursue that plan even if there is a risk for low earning potential because it makes you happy.

Health is an integral component of living the Christian life. We are called to maintain a balanced diet and exercise regularly because our bodies are temples that indwell the Holy Spirit. Poor choices are engaging in unhealthy eating habits that will impact both your physical and mental health.

We all know that relationships are vital to our spiritual lives. A wise way to live is to surround yourself with supportive and positive individuals and avoid toxic relationships or people who can negatively influence you to scorn the living God. For example, 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.”

In the environment, Christians are called to be good stewards of their resources. Wise choices would be conserving energy, recycling, and reducing waste. Living a foolish and rebellious life is ignoring environmental issues and contributing to pollution or wasteful practices. When you mistreat the land, you are disobeying God because Psalm 24:1 states: “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” Therefore, take care of God’s planet.