Proverbs 15:20

You can make your parents very happy by being wise, and God will bless you for it. Your future depends on pleasing your parents. God ordained parents, and He expects you to reverence them for their office and what they have done for you. God also chose your specific parents! The earth has over 4 billion parents, but God chose the two He knew would be best for you, regardless of what you think of them or wish for yourself.

Consider this proverb. It is in the indicative mood, stating facts without clear advice. Its full value, intent, and force must be discovered. Since wise sons make glad fathers, is the lesson (1) for sons to be wise, (2) for wise sons to make their fathers glad, or (3) for fathers to train wise sons for their own future gladness? All of these lessons are good.

How does a foolish son despise his mother? “A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother (Pr 10:1). “A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him” (Pr 17:25). A foolish son despises his mother indirectly by being a source of heaviness and bitterness to her through his foolish living.

Young men should be wise, because wisdom is important, and it brings many benefits (Pr 4:5-9). Wisdom also leads to favor with God and men (Pr 3:4; Luke 2:52). But the lesson of this proverb is the effect wisdom has on parents. If you choose to be foolish, you offend God, you hurt yourself, you offend others, and you hurt your parents. Beware!

How important is it to please your parents by being a wise child? Very! Consider it positively and negatively. If you obey and honor your parents, God will bless you with a good and long life (Ex 20:12; Deut 5:16; Eph 6:2-3). But God required capital punishment for insolent children, and He will do it Himself, if the nation neglects its duties (Pr 20:20; 30:17; Ex 21:15,17; Lev 20:9; Deut 21:18-21; 27:16; Matt 15:4)!

Why waste time, money, or effort to live longer by the questionable factors of nutrition, exercise, medicine, or supplementation? The God of heaven, Who gave you your life, told you through this proverb that He will add to your life, if you will live wisely. How? By fulfilling His promise to give a good and long life to those who honor their parents.

What is wisdom? The power of right judgment! Wise men fear God and learn His word to know and do the perfect will of God in all situations. They are diligent, gracious, just, merciful, noble, prudent, righteous, and virtuous. Parents see such children living wisely, and it gives them great joy (Pr 10:1; 17:21; 19:13; 23:15-16,24-25; 27:11; 29:3).

Rather than think you have done your duty toward your parents by getting them a card or taking them out to eat, make the fear of the Lord and Bible wisdom the most important things in your life. This will give godly parents much greater joy than any gift. It is a win-win-win proposition! God will be pleased and bless you for it; wisdom will bring you prosperity and save you from trouble; and your parents will be thrilled.

Jesus of Nazareth is God’s Son. He grew in wisdom and stature as a boy (Luke 2:52). His Father in heaven greatly loved Him, and Jesus pleased Him well in all things (Matt 3:17). He also pleased His mother, and she stayed faithful to His religion through His death and resurrection (Luke 2:19,51; John 19:25; Acts 1:14). He practiced this proverb perfectly by being wise for His Father and not despising His mother. Follow His perfect example.