This Proverb says, “like one who takes a dog by the ears is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.” A person who takes a dog by the ears will likely be bitten by the dog. It is a bad idea with consequences.
In a similar way it is a bad idea to meddle in the affairs of others. What is meddling? It is defined as becoming involved in the activities of others when your involvement is not wanted. A good example of meddling is when we as parents try to insert ourselves or our opinion in our adult children’s marital conflicts. We want the best for our children. So, we may try to help our children win their marital disagreement. This is a bad idea.
When we interfere in our children’s marriages we actually harm their relationship with their spouse. Our children need to resolve their own marital issues because only they know the true situation. Our biased opinion may encourage our children to make poor decisions in their marriage. This will cause more harm than good.
Therefore, unless we are asked, we shouldn’t offer advice. We should leave it alone and be supportive of our children and their spouses. This will lead to a better outcome for all of the relationships.
