Sunday, May 24, 2026 Proverbs 31:1-9 Mother knows best.
Mother Knows Best
Based on Proverbs 31:1–9
There's something quietly remarkable about how Proverbs 31 actually begins. We tend to jump straight to the "virtuous woman" passage — but before we get there, a mother pulls her son aside and speaks plainly. These opening verses are her words to him. Her instruction. Her heart.
She doesn't mince words. She warns him about the women who will drain his energy and the wine that will cloud his judgment. She tells him to keep his head clear and his character clean. And then she says something that cuts to the core of what real leadership looks like: use your position to help people who can't help themselves. Speak up for those without a voice. Defend those without power.
If only we would listen to our mothers.
What strikes me most is what this mother understood about wisdom. She wasn't just teaching her son how to be successful — she was teaching him how to be good. In her view, those two things weren't the same, and they weren't separable either. A man who squanders his strength on selfish living isn't just making bad personal choices — he's failing the people who need him.
That's a word for all of us.
Godly wisdom has always been about more than getting ahead. It cares about justice. It demands self-control — not as a rule to follow, but as a foundation to stand on. And it insists that influence, whatever kind we've been given, exists for the sake of others.
You may be leading a family, a team, a classroom, or a congregation. Or you may simply be leading yourself through another ordinary day. Either way, the calling is the same: live with clarity, act with courage, and let compassion shape every decision you make.
A wise mother said so. And honestly? She was right.
Lord, give me wisdom to make choices that honor You. Help me lead with integrity, speak with compassion, and stand up for those in need. Guard my heart from harmful paths and teach me to use my life and influence for good. In the Name of our Lord, Amen.
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Lord, Lead me to one soul today.
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