“Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife” (21:9). Solomon would know; he had seven hundred wives. So, let’s get to the heart of his advice. First of all, let’s apply this generally. There is something here for both genders, married or unmarried. The indirect exhortation here is to try your hardest not to be a difficult person to live with. Even if you live alone, you should be wary of being abrasive with other family members, friends, acquaintances and even strangers. The advice is simple but important: be a pleasant person. Relax, let offences go, be patient with others and just be pleasant. This is particularly important of course for married couples. I know how easy it is for me to become an unpleasant person to live with. Either because of grumpiness or simply being emotionally absent. If you are in a relationship, then relate. If you are upset or stressed, communicate that, but don’t take it out on your partner by being grumpy. Being abrasive simply makes for a tense and unpleasant home environment. Yes, it would be more pleasant to live on the roof than in a house where there is tension and unpleasantness. I am going to let this proverb remind me to be a nicer person to live with. That’s what love should motivate me to do. What about you?
Reflect on how you can be an easier person to live with.
Read Proverbs 21:1-9
