"Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home." (Proverbs 27:8)

Silly bird. Don't stray from your nest. Departing from your place of safety -- your responsibilities -- it only leads to pain. You looked to the horizon and thought flight was the answer. But you've got all you need right there. At home. In your nest.

We live in an age where far too many men have strayed from their nest.

Some have officially strayed. They've decided to abandon the women and children for whom they swore they'd lay down their lives.
Others have practically strayed. They've devoted their lives to career or hobby to an unhealthy degree, leaving little space for the life and love of the home.
And others have emotionally strayed. They've distanced themselves from the people in their homes, never allowing their hearts to open up to and enjoy those in their care.

But this, according to the proverb, is folly. Men must give themselves to their homes. If married, we must sacrifice our lives for the people we are called to defend, love, and serve. We must not stray from our homes.

If you are a married man who wants to avoid the folly of the silly bird, here are some suggestions.

Date your wife. It is far too easy for a married couple to drift apart. It's possible even with regular times together. But it is important to protect regular times together where you can talk, reflect, and laugh together. One couple I recently spoke with said if they dated too infrequently, their dates were filled with fighting. Instead, they found, they needed to get out of the house together every week or two. Having this date on the calendar helped them look forward to a time of reconnection and gave them hope when in times of difficulty.
Open your heart to your wife. It is common for men to withhold their thoughts, feelings, and pains from others. But this is not the right way to treat your wife with whom you are "one flesh" (Genesis 2:25). Instead, find healthy ways to tell her what you're going through, how you're thinking about things, and what you fear. Open your heart to her. Let her inside.
Keep no financial secrets. If married couples are one flesh, it is important for the family's financial status to be known by both the husband and the wife. If a couple can talk about finances, they can talk about anything. But once you start withholding information about where your finances are, the enemy can get a foothold. Instead, be honest and open, communicative about your budget, goals, and spending. Make financial commitments in concert together. Cultivate transparency.
Have a heart of service in your home. You are not a king. Your house is not your castle. You follow the Servant-King who laid down his life for his people. When in your house, let your life be one of service. Check-in on the kids, listening to their troubles and helping them with life. Do chores. Change diapers. I've seen some couples, in an attempt to be sacrificial, neglect to predetermine the various responsibilities which need to be divvied up throughout the home. This leads to a paranoid feeling where every task is a group one. We nurse together. We change diapers together. We clean together. We do yard work together. This is folly, for we are designed to help each other, not make some tasks harder by doing them together. Instead, we should clearly communicate together so we can decide who is doing what in the home. And, guys, get after it.
Protect a day with your wife and family. Life is crazy. For every time-saving device that's been invented, we lose time. Life is filled with a copious amount of options. "Decision fatigue" is now a thing. Nights out. Kid's activities. Church life. Friends. Extended family. Work. It can be a lot, but if you can protect a day to spend with your wife (and kids), health will flow. Israel called it the Sabbath, a rhythm many moderns would benefit from today.
Put down your phone (or lock down your phone). I've written about this at length elsewhere. Jesus wants us to connect with, love, and serve the people in our lives. We must be present. But the constant accessibility our phones produce is excessive. The countless distractions our phone provides are addicting. And the temptation to check out of our home life to wander out of the nest and into phone-land is huge. Put it down. Look your loved ones in the eye. Be together. I advocate for making your smartphone as dumb as possible by limiting and disabling its features to only a select few non-distracting applications.
Refine your life. Many men who've had kids have discovered the need to strip away the extraneous parts of life, cutting it down to the bare minimum. One cannot afford too many time-sucking hobbies, countless hours of leisure time, or too many extra hours at the office. Instead, we must be men of discipline who work really hard when it's time for work, but who don't allow for tons of wasted hours. Video games, hobbies, friendships, all need to be regulated to allow for enough time for the home.

Jesus laid down his life to make us his family. He brought us home. He suffered and died in the pursuit of our best interests. Let us allow the Spirit of Christ to bring us to newness of life, the kind of life which lays itself down for others. A life of devotion and care to the people we love. After all, it is the best thing for you. Don't be a silly bird. Stay home.