Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. (Proverbs 21:9 NIV)

Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife. (Proverbs 21:19 NIV)

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. (Proverbs 21:2 NIV)

When my kids were in their teens, I homeschooled, and life was very demanding. I often responded defensively at the least remark. My tone of voice set off a chain-reaction of negative attitudes throughout the house. One night during this time, my husband said he didn’t want to come home, but had nowhere else to go. (The rooftop is steep and the desert is very far away.)

You can imagine the blow it was for me to hear his feelings. I realized how much I was to  blame for the destructive tension in our home. Something needed to change – FAST!

Luke 6:45 says, the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

My heart was full of fear and frustration and I took it out on everyone. As hard as I tried, I was failing everyone. I needed to let go of my control and of my fears and trust God.

This is where I believe Proverbs 21:2 fits in. God weighs the heart.

We all look at the circumstances of our lives from a limited perspective – and from that view, we tend to justify our actions. But God sees things objectively, clearly. And the Holy Spirit speaks truth, giving us his perspective. It’s our job to listen, repent, and obey.

The good news is, my heart is the Lord’s and he is at work cleansing it and making it conform to the image of his Son.