THE BEST HOME ACCESSORY
Proverbs 17:1 NLT
1 Better a dry crust eaten in peace
than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.
I never ceased to be amazed at the simple yet profound wisdom of the Proverbs. I shouldn’t be surprised. Solomon did not come up with this wisdom on his own. His wisdom was not due to a high IQ or an extreme amount of research. Solomon’s wisdom was a God given divine insight into life. I am sure that came with a strong intellect, but the origin was from God.
Our verse for today is a great example of something we can add to our home or workplace that will produce immediate improvement. More than new furniture. More than an addition. More than a total renovation. And here is the kicker; it costs nothing. Well, maybe that is not exactly accurate. There will be a cost, just not a monetary cost.
The best home accessory is peace. Peace in the home, peace in the office is better than a physical addition. When Solomon wrote this wisdom, food was not as available as we know today. A feast was something rare and special. So the idea of a feast was highly sought after. But the wisdom of God says a crust of bread with peace is better than a feast with conflict. Having a bountiful feast with large amounts of the finest foods and having an environment of conflict is undesirable. Meager food with peace is the better option.
Don’t go to an extreme with this. Nothing but a crust of bread over the long haul is not a healthy or sustainable diet. But that is not what God’s wisdom is saying. The wisdom of God is simply putting the emphasis on the spiritual and emotional environment as opposed to the quality of the furnishings. We know this from people who have homes with beautiful views in upscale neighborhoods. After a while, they get used to the views and the beauty of the home does not overcome the unhappiness in it. If you are always in conflict, the view and the furnishings become inconsequential.
So the answer is to work towards peace. Sure, there can be conflict anytime you have more than one person in a home. But it does not have to be mean-spirited, and it does not have to be constant. Moving to a nicer home is nice, but you take the environment from the old house with you.
So how do you work toward peace? Long subject, but here are some short notes. Pray for one another. Ask God to help you make the adjustments that make for peace. Start with you, not your spouse, or roommate, or sibling. Walk away from strife. Limit your words. Value peace more than winning an argument. Because really, no one wins. Be the bigger person. Act as if the Lord is in the room, because He is. This will cost your flesh nature, but the peace will be worth it, and your food will taste better.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to create an environment of peace in my home, school, workplace, or wherever I go. Thank You for showing me my part to making peace.