Thought for the Day

Verse 15 - If a man has a good wife, he is blessed; but a nagging wife can make his life miserable. Contentious means to be quarrelsome and ready to argue. Continual complaining and nagging is as annoying as the continual dripping of water on a rainy day. We all know listening to the sound of something going "drip, drip, drip, drip" is quite unsettling and gets on our nerves after a time. Nagging wives can cause the same reaction as a dripping sound that does not cease. Since a contentious woman is very hard to deal with, it would be wisdom to avoid marrying a woman like that. The same is true of a contentious man.

Verse 16 - Trying to restrain a contentious woman is like trying to grasp the wind or hold on to something when your hands are covered with oil. Arguments, complaining and nagging will crop up no matter what you do. A contentious woman is rebellious. Her character and actions are in opposition to the commandment given to wives in Ephesians 5:22-24 to submit to their husbands. The value of a virtuous woman is spoken of in Proverbs 31:10-12: "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."

Because contentious people yield to unrighteousness, they will reap indignation and wrath on the Day of Judgment and the eternal tribulation and anguish of hell if they do not repent. Christ died for our sins and can deliver us from a contentious nature. Those who yield to God will do good works, and receive glory, honor, and peace.

"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God" (Romans 2:5-10).