THE FATHER’S WORDS OF WISDOM August 16, 2020

A very dear aunt, my mother’s paternal first-degree cousin, died this morning in her sleep, at 81, in perfect health, except for some very early signs of Alzheimer.  She was also a very enthusiastic and faithful church pastor for many years, and her legacy, undoubtedly, will never be forgotten by those of us whose lives were affected by her in so many ways.  Apart from her faith, I owe a lot to her especially when I went to college, as she so very generously gifted me with fabric for my college skirt uniform (the only one I had in fact, up until the fourth year when a generous schoolmate and friend who was one year my senior, donated hers to me because she said she has no younger sister to pass or hand them down to).  You see, my poor family’s budget was so tight up during those times, my “aunt’s gift” will forever be appreciated, buried deep in my heart and forever a part of me, even if the physical skirt was long gone.

 

Life was difficult for so many years in the past, when she and my mom were in their younger years, and when I was in my younger years, but it was also happier because it was simpler, and we had simpler joys back then.  And through it all, her family and mine never lost touch and remained close, and never failed to visit each other when we had time.  Now that she is gone, we are both sad and happy, that we could no longer see her in the flesh, but hopeful that someday, when the Lord returns, we shall see each other again, along with the loved ones we have lost in the Lord who share our faith.

 

Sometimes I think that maybe those difficult times made me resolve why I should never enter into any romantic relationships while as a student. I felt that at that time, life is difficult as it is, so romance, and the time and energy it entails, would be a luxury I could never afford.  Oh, well.  Good thing though, I realized that more than romantic relationships, family ties are stronger.  And in the future, if GOD wills that though extremely late, I be given the chance I deserve, I know better, I have learned more, and I have prepared myself really well whatever and however things turn out to be.

 

And these are a few of the things one can learn when we read the Word today, in the book of Proverbs chapter 4, what I call the “Father’s Words of Wisdom”.  These are intergenerational, passed down from father to son and to their grandchildren by those who have lived the full lives that GOD has planned for them, in obedience and faith (verses 1 to 4).  We can think of this Father as GOD the Father Himself (if our own human fathers are absent or doesn’t fit the profile), but we could also think of this as our physical human fathers, particularly what is in their hearts when they have matured and learned how life is really like.

 

In verses 5 to 13, the father advised the son (and daughters too) to get wisdom and understanding, for it is the highest virtue one can have in life, prolonging our days, giving substance to our existence, and meaning to our daily living.  The father cautioned us against joining or being company with evil people in verses 14 to 17: those who are disobedient to their own parents, those who do not bother getting wisdom or understanding the way of things, but are only after conducting their affairs through taking advantage of other people, feeding their greed and lust, and giving way to pride, rage and violence.  They only lead to darkness, destruction, stumbling and fall (verse 19).

 

But the father has some good and encouraging words for those who are just, people who uphold and live rightly and fairly amidst a world of chaos, fear, injustice, corruption and greed—“The path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.” (verse 18).

 

Don Moen also made a song of verses 20 to 22: “My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my saying. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.”  Indeed, giving respect and honor to and being obedient to parents and lawful authorities is one key factor that will determine our success in life (Exodus 20:12). And in this pandemic, quite literally so.

 

In the last five verses in the chapter (verses 23 to 27), the father admonished us all about the things we have control over and that we have to watch out for, what I call, the “Bodily Affair”: 1) our hearts = we have to guard it well with all diligence, for all issues in life—our learnings, our future plans, our current living, our careers, our relationships and our eternity—are affected by how we feel and how we manage them; 2) our mouths = what we say can make or break not only other people, but more so ourselves; 3) our eyes = what we see may not be avoided, but what we choose to look and gaze at longer determines how life will turn out for us; 4) our feet = we have to check where we step on (extremely important for us commuters who sometimes have to hike and walk some distance to get to where we want and need to be), or to put it grossly yet simply, we must avoid stepping on “dog shit”—literally or figuratively—or it would surely ruin not just our day, but probably the rest of our days; and 5) our hands = the things we do are actually a result of the things we think and feel, and these would really determine how our lives will turn out to be.

 

We all have fathers and mothers, elders and guardians who exercised great influence in our lives.  Except some few who were lacking in wisdom and maturity themselves, I believe all of them desired that we turn out to be people better than them, or people who would do great things.  These are admirable dreams, but ones we should ponder on.  They may not be perfect all the time, but somehow we need to ask ourselves, what have we done with the legacy and the dreams they have left behind for us?  Have we learned from their mistakes, so that we may not have to commit the same in our lives too?  We may not be able to know what the future holds, but like the Father’s Words of Wisdom we learned today, the most important thing is, have we prepared ourselves to embrace it and thrive in it?  May we heed these words not only from our human parents and elders, but more so, from Our One Heavenly Father who loves us and cares for us more than all these.