Created as man...behave like apes.

One thing I find quite interesting is that even though the Proverbs were written to a young audience (son of Solomon), it can never mean it can't apply an old audience!


How often do I speak and realize "that was dumb."? Often. We're given children and a wife, as a blessing and the biggest fallacy I see in some men is that they validate their manhood by the fact that they have a family. The tragedy with that is that the poor wife and children are left with an over bearing ape, who as Prov 12:15 says, his foolishness is right in his own eyes. In other words, he doesn't know he's a fool!

Just a few months ago we took a family trip and went to the Wild Animal Park, only to realize that the animals behind the glass pane were wiser than the gorilla standing next to me. A man, his wife, and a double stroller, going up hill. She's pleading with him "Please take the stroller, I can't do this up hill." His response was, "You'll get a good work out." And actually made his wife, who was probably 5'3, push a massive DOUBLE stroller with both of HIS kids in it, up hill for the entire 1/4 mile walk to the elephant exhibit. Now while I can call him many names and feel justified, I wonder how often I myself act in such a way. It may not be as direct as the example above, but I think it even more foolish to be an insidious, insensitive, inconsiderate pea-headed head of household. I mean, at least he was aware that he was being a jerk.

All this to say what Pro 12:2 said years ago "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion." Are we husbands/fathers out to just make our statement and feelings known, or are we seeking to understand more than to be understood? Are we here to be served or are we living like Jesus said and live TO serve? Do we mirror the words of Paul in Ephesians and lay our lives down, dying each day, over and over and over again for our bride? Or do we pull a David, fulfill our needs and go looking for the slaughter to hide it or worse justify it? We're pitiful in many cases, but thankfully it doesn't end there for us. It should end where life started... at the Cross.