It’s time for 5-minute Friday, a one-word writing prompt where we write for 5 minutes without editing or stopping. Today’s word is waste.
I recently posted about a portion of Proverbs 5. And when I thought about today’s prompt, I remembered the passage. But the next thing that popped into my mind was an old country song entitled, “Wasted Days & Wasted Nights.” I don’t know the words except for that opening phrase but the title could summarize the passage I’m referring to.
It starts:
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
Lend your ear to my understanding,
2 That you may preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
But the portion I was commenting on was from verses 7-14:
7 Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,
9 Lest you give your honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 Lest aliens be filled with your wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!
13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!
14 I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”
Whenever I read that passage, I think of our teenagers who are so deceived into thinking that partying, drinking, and experimenting with sex is what life is all about. They think it’s a gain for them to be with multiple partners and enjoy their youth. But it ends up a waste.
While necessary, young men spend their adult years paying child support for children they rarely see. Young women end up married to men who didn’t value their purity, supporting children alone, or with a series of partners. And too many children end up in broken homes with father figures who are often not worthy of the job—so much waste.
May God help us to impart biblical wisdom to our young people before they go down that road and give us opportunities to share the Gospel so that where there has been great waste, there can also be great redemption and grace.
Blessings,
Donna ♥
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photo by Ron Lach on pexels
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