I have a friend who is very mean to his wife and children. The wife and children are still with this man. I keep telling him that no one can take this abuse for an extended period of time. He doesn't believe me. What can I tell him from the Bible that might cause him to agree with me?

He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
(Prov. 11:29 NJKV)

The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing left....
(Prov. 11:29 TLB)

The Bible declares that you cannot mistreat your wife and children, provoking them, or causing resentment, and have them stay with you. This type of treatment will be more than they can bear and eventually they will break under it.

Your friend also needs to realize that his wife and children are precious gifts from God. God wants us to love our wives and children with all our hearts.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
(Eph. 5:25-29)

If a husband loves his wife, laying his life down for her, he will make her into his heart's desire. This man needs to see that he should love his wife as his own body, nourishing and cherishing her.

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