Read: I Cor 7:3-4; Prov 5:3-23; 19:18; 13:24; 23:13-14; 17:22; 31:10-31
Wise Words for Families:
The book of Proverbs has been described as the lecture notes of a wisdom teacher. In perusing those notes it is interesting to see how much human nature has remained consistently “human” as well as how different we are today in the way we prioritize our values.
Key Texts:
- 1 Corinthians 7:3,4 – Paul’s counsel on marriage, we fulfill our spousal duties satisfying the other’s needs, each being the master over the other’s body.
- Proverbs 5:3-23 – Warning against the consequences of an adulterous affair.
- Ron Flowers, Quarterly – The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. His faithfulness and continuing affection for her, or the lack of these, have a telling effect upon children’s well being into adulthood.
- Proverbs 19:18 – Discipline your children while they are young enough to learn. If you don’t, you are helping them destroy themselves.
- EGW, The Adventist Home – The goal of discipline is to bind their hearts to ours in love.
- Proverbs 13:24 – If you don’t punish your son, you don’t love him. If you do love him, you will correct him. (Spare the rod and spoil the child).
- Proverbs 23:13,14 – Don’t hesitate to discipline a child. A good spanking won’t kill him. As a matter of fact, it may save his life.
- Proverbs 17:22 – Being cheerful keeps you healthy (A merry heart does good). It is slow death to be gloomy all the time (but a broken spirit dries the bones).
- Proverbs 31:10-31 – Praise for the characteristics of a virtuous wife.
Questions for Discussion:
- What I read in the literature about extra marital affairs is that people don’t typically set out to be unfaithful. So what then happens to open the door to that temptation? What can couples do to reinforce the sanctity of their promises of fidelity?
- There is a great deal being discovered about the role of fathers in shaping character in children, particularly in the area of relationships to authority. What recourse do single parents have when the father figure is emotionally or physically distant or absent?
- How can we discipline in such a way that our children’s love for us grows deeper, that the bonds of intimacy are strengthened, that our children’s respect for us grows stronger as well?
- What is the role of punishment in Christian discipline?
- When discipline has missed its intended purpose by being too harsh or misunderstood, how can parents set matters right with their children?
- Can you recount times in your family when humor was a buoyant elixir of happiness? Can you recall times when it as used perversely to humiliate or degrade?
- How useful is the list of characteristics in Proverbs 31 for mate selection today?
- What do you understand Paul to be saying in 1 Corinthians 7 about Christian marriage?
