Saturday, December 6 By wisdom a house is built up.​—Prov. 24:3.

[Áine]

Saturday, December 6

By wisdom a house is built up.—Prov. 24:3.

 

In our race for life, we must love Jehovah and Jesus more than we love our relatives. (Matt. 10:37) This does not mean, however, that we can neglect our family obligations, as though these were holding us back from pleasing God and Christ. On the contrary, to be acceptable to God and Christ, we need to fulfill our role in the family. (1 Tim. 5:4, 8) When we do, we will be happier. After all, Jehovah designed families to thrive when husband and wife treat each other with love and respect, when parents love and train their children, and when children obey their parents. (Eph. 5:33; 6:1, 4) Whatever your role is in the family, trust in the wisdom found in the Bible instead of relying on mere emotions, culture, or what so-called experts may say. Make good use of our Bible-based publications. These contain practical suggestions on how to apply Bible principles. w23.08 28 ¶6-7

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Look at how the verse opens the door: “By wisdom a house is built up.” It’s quiet, almost understated, but it carries the weight of blueprints and foundations. Then the material drops something sharper. Loving Jehovah and Jesus above all — that’s the north star. But notice the tension it clears up. Putting Jehovah first never gives us permission to abandon the people under our roof. Devotion doesn’t hollow out duty. It deepens it.

And here’s the picture that forms if you sit with the paragraph long enough. A family is like a frame that creaks when someone tries to hold it together with emotion alone. Culture won’t reinforce it. Advice from experts shifts like wind. But when a husband’s respect anchors his love, when a wife’s warmth shapes her words, when a parent’s training steadies a child, and when a child’s obedience takes root — the whole structure settles. It stops wobbling. Wisdom locks the beams.

What do we learn? A family doesn’t drift into strength. It’s built. Piece by piece. Choice by choice. Every role becomes a way of showing the One we love most that we trust his designs more than our instincts.