Do you create a desert or fertile environment?

TODAY’S PROVERB: It is better to live in a desert land
than with a quarrelsome, worrisome wife.  Proverbs 21:19

Did you catch that? The word worrisome. Oh my.

So, my fretting, “concern,” and wringing of my hands is just as annoying and frustrating to my husband as being quarrelsome? OY!

Guess what? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines this adjective as: someone causing distress and worry; or someone inclined to worry or fret.

Hmm. That means someone who is worrisome creates an environment of anxiety. That makes sense. Both quarreling and worrying are very draining — sucking the energy out of others. Neither attribute fosters a wholesome, nurturing home.

Quarreling and worrying do not feed the soul, they deplete it — for ourselves and those around us.

Father, I don’t want to be either quarrelsome or worrisome, please forgive me. And for those others whom I have drained with my quarreling and worry, please forgive me, too. I will continue to try to do better.

What is the opposite of worry? Something that creates a “fertile environment”. Things like:

• Faith.
• Encouragement.
• Reassurance.

That’s what I want to contribute to the environment around me. What about you?

May we seek to contribute to an environment rich in harmony and faith, my friends.

Proverbs 21:19 Tree of Life Bible Society, Tree of Life Version – TLV, #tlvbible, #tlvproverbs