My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. (Prov. 6:20–21)
A FAMOUS PERSON wore a necklace that, according to her, brought her luck and kept her from bad things. What superstition supposedly promised her is reality in Christ. The reality is that having the teachings of God in our hearts and minds works like nothing else to bring good into our lives.
This passage warns men especially how the sin of adultery will destroy them. It even compares adultery with stealing. The man who steals will pay, but the shame and disgrace of an unrepentant adulterer will never be forgotten. It is therefore very important to keep guard against sexual sins.
The Word also emphasizes listening to our parents’ teaching. When we remember our father’s commands and our mother’s teaching, they will replay in our minds even when we are in bed, or when we are near temptation. When we think of them, we will refrain from acting on temptation.
What does it mean to wear their teachings around your neck? It means to keep them very close to you. Saturate yourself with the Word of God, so that it will be on your mind. Write them and put them on the wall, so that you read them several times a day. We have something real we can hold on to that really works. It is the most precious necklace we can have.
Review, study, read, and display prominently the Word of God.
Deanna Altman is the mother of four sons, and lives in Watkinsville, Georgia. She writes Christian fiction and children’s books.
