Get Rid of Those Boogers (Proverbs 22:10)

Sometimes we just need to clean house to get a fresh start.

"Drive out the scoffer and contention will go out; yes, strife and abuse will cease." Proverbs 22:10, Amplified

That cleaning house sometimes involves ridding ourselves of people we surround ourselves with. This verse reminds me of the Mucinex commercials where these boogers have set up house within the lungs of a person making him miserable. But with a little prompting and coughing and Mucinex, the boogers are forced out giving that person relief for the first time in who knows how long.

The same thing can be said of those persons that we surround ourselves with, the mucus of relationships can bog us down. If we eradicate that from our lives, then we will be freer that before.

Contentious Woman II (Proverbs 21:19)

Sometimes a man has nowhere else to go other than a corner of a rooftop or the hot desert to get as far as he can from a contentious woman.

"It is better to dwell in a desert land than with a contentious woman and vexation." Proverbs 21:19, Amplified

Just like the rooftop scenario, an uncomfortable and dangerous place is safer than with a contentious woman.

Contentious Woman (Proverbs 21:9)

There are plenty of things that a man can deal with, however, one of them is not a contentious woman.

"It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop [on the flat oriental roof, exposed to all kinds of weather] than in a house shared with a nagging, quarrelsome and faultfinding woman." Proverbs 21:9, Amplified

It is quite a funny picture to paint within the mind, to see a man on the corner of a house. It is a precarious and uncomfortable place for him to be. However, the precariousness and uncomfortableness is much better than a woman who is obnoxious and quarrelsome. This woman is special to him, too. She is his wife. He has made a covenant to stay with her to death do them part. This is why it is so important to pray fervently about who it is your are to marry. My mother prayed for my wife since I was in the second grade. She knew that whomever she was, she must be very special. I will tell you what, I see no rooftops in my future.

Wives and Sons (Proverbs 19:13)

Though family is important, it can also be the undoing of a person.

"A self-confident and foolish son is the [multiplied] calamity of his father, and the contentions of a wife are as continual dropping [of water through a chink in the roof]." Proverbs 19:13, Amplified

A foolish son is the undoing of his father. The father is supposed to take the role of teacher in the relationship. But when the son becomes self confident and foolish, does that reflect on the father? Yes. Every father wants to brag on their child when he is a success. However, when that child acts foolishly, there is nothing more to brag about, for everyone is focused on the bad within the child ad not the good that might possibly be left over.

As for a wife, if she is contentious, she is a continual dripping. I remember when we had some pretty severe rain this last winter, there was a leak in my roof. Some interesting things went on inside myself when that leak appeared. First I became stressed at the fact there was a leak in my roof. Next was the uncomfortablity of having to navigate my around the leak and the puddle it left. Finally there was the irritation of the leak when the whole house went silent. As we tried to relax there was the steady sound of dripping that seemed to be more of a sonic boom than anything. I do not know if having a contentious wife would make me feel this way, but if it did, I would understand why the Bible speaks of her so. All I know is that I would not want one.

The Dam (Proverbs 17:14)

The Bible compares strife to water in that water can be extremely damaging.

"The beginning of strife is as when water first trickles [from a crack in a dam]; therefore stop contention before it becomes worse and quarreling breaks out." Proverbs 17:14, Amplified

Water seeks out its own level. It will seep through any crack it can find in order to find that balance. In doing so, it can destroy whatever is holding it back. It reminds me of the old story of the boy who stuck his finger in the dyke in order to stop the water from destroying his town. Everyone else saw the crack and ignored it. The young boy, however, saw the potential hazard of ignorance.

Water's natural tendency is to erode. Ask any scientist how the Grand Canyon was formed and they will tell you that the Colorado River carved its way through the earth over millions of years because he understands the nature of water. (I want it to be noted that I do not believe that the Grand Canyon was formed this way. I believe in a very young earth and believe that a great cataclysm such as The Flood most likely formed the canyon.)

Strife is exactly like water. A tiny bit can be potentially hazardous to a relationship. If a little is seeping through a crack, what larger body is lurking behind the dam? We are not talking about random acts of violence. There are signs for us to see. The idea is to act and not react. Take the time to place your finger into that hole to stop the flow. Correct the fault before it overtakes you.