“My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.” – Proverbs 6:20-22 (NASB)
There are a number of ways that God instructs us to live using these proverbs of Solomon. This is how we listen to His word and respond to what we learn. First, it is clear the importance God places on family and on the chain of responsibility that exists in an established family. God never intended young people to be independent of their parents. Instruction from every sector is valuable. But from parents it is authoritative—the ordinance of God. Therefore, we are not to consider it a matter of occasional regard. “Bind them continually on your heart,” is allowing them to rule our lives and guide the way we live. Plus “around your neck,” as an adorning making them a part of daily life so that others may know what we believe. The same was instructed in Proverbs. 3:3 and Job’s declaration in Job 31:36 regarding his integrity, “Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, I would bind it to myself like a crown.” Day and night, God’s wisdom is revealed to us in his word and should be more than momentary, it should be known by all who know us.
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