Verbal Admonitions to Our Children from Proverbs

You may say to your children:

– when an unwillingness to receive godly counsel, instruction, or rebuke, or when acting like a fool:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction, Proverbs 1:7.

My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord, or loathe His reproof, for whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights, Proverbs 3:11,12.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid, Proverbs 12:1.

-when a desire to succumb to peer pressure:

My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, “Come with us. . .” do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, Proverbs 1:10,15.

– when a temptation to sexual perversion or licentiousness:

A harlot is a deep pit, and an adulterous woman is a narrow well. Surely she lurks as a robber, and increases the faithless among men, Proverbs 23:27,28.

A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth, Proverbs 29:3.

– when tempted to wickedness and ungodliness:

The wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted from it, Proverbs 2:22.

He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life, and he who pursues evil will bring about his own death, Proverbs 11:19.

He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is crooked in his ways despises Him, Proverbs 14:2.

– when a desire to do “one’s own thing”:

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones, Proverbs 3:7,8.

There is a way which seems right to man, but its end is the way of death, Proverbs 14:12.

The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, but the naive go on and are punished for it, Proverbs 22:3.

– when a desire to hoard, be selfish with one’s possessions:

Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine, Proverbs 3:9,10.

Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it with you, Proverbs 3:28.

– when tempted to be contentious, strident, argumentative:

Do not contend with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm, Proverbs 3:30.

The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so abandon the quarrel before it breaks out, Proverbs 17:14.

An arrogant man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper, Proverbs 28:25.

– when tempted to be envious, to emulate the wicked and godless:

Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways. For the crooked man is an abomination to the Lord; but He is intimate with the upright, Proverbs 3:31, 32.

No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble, Proverbs 12:21.

Do not fret because of evildoers, or be envious of the wicked; for there will be no future for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out, Proverbs 24:19,20.

– when deceitful, devious, divisive, profane, lying, slanderous in speech:

Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put devious lips far from you, Proverbs 4:24.

The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverted, Proverbs 10:32.

Truthful lips will be established forever, but a lying tongue is only for a moment, Proverbs 12:19.

A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends, Proverbs 16:28.

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, so is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, “Was I not joking?” Proverbs 26:18.

– when tempted by the riches, glitter, and sensuality of this world:

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure and turmoil with it, Proverbs 15:16.

Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward the heavens, Proverbs 23:4, 5.

A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth, and does not know that want will come upon him, Proverbs 28:22.

– how to spot a godless, sensuous, unprincipled woman:

For the lips of an adulterous drip honey, and smoother than oil is her speech; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of Sheol. She does not ponder the path of life; her ways are unstable, she does not know it, Proverbs 5:3-6.

To keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. Do not desire her beauty in your heart, nor let her catch you with her eyelids, Proverbs 6:24,25.

This is the way of an adulterous woman; she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, “I have done no wrong,” Proverbs 30:20.

– when tempted to do business with the unscrupulous:

My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, have given a pledge for a stranger, if you have been snared with the words of your mouth. . .do not give sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids; deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler, Proverbs 6:1-5.

Do not be among those who give pledges, among those who become sureties for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should he take your bed from under you? Proverbs 22:26, 27.

– when tempted to laziness, irresponsibility, negligence:

Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer, or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest”, and your poverty will come in like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man, Proverbs 6:6-11.

Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully, Proverbs 10:4,5.

In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty, Proverbs 14:23.

He who is slack in his work, is a brother to him who destroys, Proverbs 18:9.

Laziness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle man will suffer hunger, Proverbs 19:15.

The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, for his hands refuse to work, Proverbs 21:25.

– how to spot worthless and godless people and why we don’t run with them:

From the fruit of a man’s mouth he enjoys good, but the desire of the treacherous is violence, Proverbs 13:2.

Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is good will, Proverbs 14:9.

Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, lest you learn his ways, and find a snare for yourself, Proverbs 22:24,25.

– when your child throws temper tantrums:

A quick tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated, Proverbs 14:17.

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly, Proverbs 14:29.

A man of great anger shall bear the penalty, for if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again, Proverbs 19:19.

– when tempted to deceive or cheat in order to gain wealth:

Ill-gotten gains do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death, Proverbs 10:2.

The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the falseness of the treacherous will destroy them, Proverbs 11:3.

Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases it, Proverbs 13:11.

Differing weights and differing measures, both of them are abominable to the Lord, Proverbs 20:10.

– when your child says that he hates someone, speaks rashly, or seeks revenge:

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions, Proverbs 10:12.

With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered, Proverbs 11:9.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger, Proverbs 15:1.

He who returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house, Proverbs 17:13.

Do not say, “I will repay evil,” wait for the Lord, and He will save you, Proverbs 20:22.

– when your child talks too much, says inappropriate things:

The wise of heart will receive commands, but the babbling fool will be thrown down, Proverbs 10:8.

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise, Proverbs 10:19.

A fool’s lips bring strife, and his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul, Proverbs 18:6,7.

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him, Proverbs 29:20.

– when your child boasts, displays pride, looks down on the poor:

Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant, than he who honors himself and lacks bread, Proverbs 12:9.

He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him, Proverbs 14:31.

The Lord will tear down the house of the proud, but He will establish the boundary of the widow, Proverbs 15:25.

Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor, Proverbs 18:12.

The righteous is concerned about the rights of the poor, the wicked does not understand such concern, Proverbs 29:7.

– when your child is cruel to your pet:

A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the compassion of the wicked is cruel, Proverbs 12:10.

– when your child is tempted to drink or take drugs:

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise, Proverbs 20:1.

He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not become rich, Proverbs 21:17.

Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, or with gluttonous eaters of meat. For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags, Proverbs 23:21.

– when you discipline with the rod, remind your child of the “why?”:

He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently, Proverbs 13:24.

Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death, Proverbs 19:18.

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him, Proverbs 22:15.

Do not hold back discipline from the child, although you beat him with the rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with the rod, and deliver his soul from Sheol.” Proverbs 23:13,14.

The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother, Proverbs 29:15.

Al Baker pastors the Christ Community Presbyterian Church, West Hartford, CT., USA.