Quarrelsome Simile

Proverbs 27: 15, 16 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.

Ouch.  This verse and its similes are painful, aren’t they?  When we quarrel and stir up division, we cause holes in our covering that allows the rain inside our homes – and that makes for a soggy, messy house where mold begins to grow. 

But this verse even goes further with the comparison.  Stopping a wife who is already quarreling is near impossible, for who can restrain the wind?  And who can grasp something that is oily?

I only know one person that can restrain the wind and that’s Jesus.  He was in a boat when a storm arose and he spoke to the winds and said, “Peace, be still.”  The winds died down, and everyone on the boat made it safely to shore.

Once we start our quarreling,we tend to get on a roll and we see our husbands with accusing eyes and our hearts become cold, and our disdain gathers momentum like the blowing wind.  Not a good picture, is it?

Jesus really is the only one who can meet our needs and he never intended our husbands to be a substitute.  If we can truly learn the pattern of turning to Him when our husbands disappoint us, he will calm the raging storm within us and tame our tongue before it whips out like an oily, slimy viper.

Have you seen Wolverine yet?  The viper character in the movie is a woman with a snakelike tongue and she weakens every man on which she blows or touches. 

She eventually meets her demise.  Enough said.