Barking Against the Family

The Ninth Commandment tells us that slander is wrong and God condemns it. Isn't it sad that one of the places we often see this is in marriage. A Russian proverb speaks of the foolishness of slander in marriage when it says: "A dog is wiser than a woman: he won't bark at his master." Too many men and women are guilty of such stupidity: they bark and snarl at those closest to them.

In marriage, it is the duty of the husband to be, among other things, the protector of his wife. If he instead defames his wife, it is an indication of both an inability to protect and to govern. The man has denied to his wife a standard of godly conduct to which she is entitled.

The failure doesn't stop there though, it extends to the whole family. The father has the responsibility to lead the teaching of his children. Where the father fails to be a pattern of responsible and thoughtful speech, the children are deprived of a major stabilizing force in their lives. We see this failure often in our culture today.

Men, let's commit ourselves to being careful in how we communicate with our wives. We need to reflect godly character in our words and actions that we might be men who are willing to fulfill our duty and calling as men who protect and govern well. In doing so we will build strong and godly families, glorifying God.