1 A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
Verse 1 in Chapter 10 perplexed me.
Why does it mention joy with the father and grief with the mother?
Am I not supposed to try to bring joy to my mother?
Does it not matter if I grieve my father?
I have a hunch. But first, family dynamics.
I know family dynamics are quite varied but traditionally, this is how families work:
Mom is the hub. She has a pulse on the kids. For many, because she stays at home. When Johnny or Jane get in trouble, Mom correct and disciplines. When Jane REALLY gets in trouble, Dad is called in to help discipline.
Now, when Jane does well, Mom congratulates Jane. Dad doesn’t hear about small victories but when Jane is REALLY successful, Mom shares with Dad and it brings him joy.
So. What do family dynamics have to do with verse 1?
Well, Solomon is saying don’t do anything that even your mother, who sees everything, would need to correct you about. And furthermore, live in such a wise way, that your dad gets to hear A LOT of great highlights.
Sure, bring joy to your mother, but it probably means you are living even more wisely if your father is hearing about it. In the same vein, don’t grieve your father, but it probably means you are living even more wisely if you don’t grieve your mother to start with.
Challenge of the day: make yo momma happy!
And all the moms said amen.
Remember, chapter 10 was addressed to Solomon’s sons, so it may not seem applicable to us as grown adults. However, the general call to such a level of wisdom is understandable and applicable.
This post is part of The Nester’s 31 Days Series