Proverbs 23:15

Wisdom is win-win! You win by being wise and pleasing God and men. Your father wins by having a wise son or daughter. Include your mother (Pr 23:25), and it is win-win-win!

Wisdom is the most precious thing in life (Pr 3:15; 8:11). David told Solomon, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding” (Pr 4:7). Fathers and sons can rejoice together when both are wise. To have this blessing, fathers must teach children (Ps 34:11), and children must obey fathers (Eph 6:1-3).

The Bible book of Proverbs is lessons from Solomon to his son and other children. He taught them many aspects of wisdom, from finances to marriage, from speech to a good work ethic, from the proper use of alcohol to protecting widows, from avoiding risk to avoiding tattlers, and from trusting God to hating evil. What a precious book of wisdom!

The easiest way to make your father and mother happiest is to be wise. No one but the devil and this wicked world loses when you are wise. Everyone that matters wins. Godly parents bring children into the world with a measure of fear, for they must wait to see the work of God in their children and the efforts of those children toward God and wisdom.

Consider the parental joy of Seth for Enos! Lamech for Noah! Terah for Abram! Jacob for Joseph! Amram and Jochebed for Moses! Joash for Gideon! Hannah for Samuel! Jesse for David! David for Solomon! Zacharias and Elisabeth for John! Zebedee for James and John! Jonah for Andrew and Peter! Eunice and Lois for Timothy!

Son, do you understand the importance of being wise? Your age does not matter, for fathers of all ages can rejoice. Wisdom pleases God (Pr 3:1-4). Wisdom pleases parents, as in this proverb (Pr 23:25). Wisdom will exalt you (Pr 3:13-18). Wisdom will benefit all those you touch in life (Pr 10:21; 11:30). You might even save a city (Eccl 9:13-18)!

If wisdom exalts you, pleases God, pleases parents, and profits those around you, how important is wisdom to you? It should be the first and last thing you think about each day. You should cut out all foolish or wasteful activities to focus on getting more wisdom (Pr 18:1). Life is very short; will you make efforts to be wise in your latter end (Pr 19:20)?

The true and living God cares greatly about your relationships. Before He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world, He sent John the Baptist to prepare Israel for Him. How did John prepare men for Jesus Christ? He restored relationships between fathers and sons (Mal 4:5-6; Luke 1:17). Father, do you teach your son wisdom? Son, is your heart wise?