of wisdom

(I will begin this and every blog post about what I am finding in the Bible about being a Godly wife, mother, and woman by saying that I by no means think that the woman is always the culprit in an unhealthy relationship. Marriages involve two broken, sinning humans who carry equal responsibility in making their relationship work. What I have had to learn the hard way, however, is that the only person I can control is myself. If there is an issue in my marriage, the only things I can do are seek God's insight on how I can be or do better, and pray that God will do the work in my husband's heart. So please read on with that in mind.) 

 Proverbs 14:1 "A wise woman builds her house, but with her own hand a foolish one tears hers down." 
Wisdom seems to be an elusive thing to define, but the Bible gives a lot of examples of how a wise person acts. The Bible is also clear on the source of wisdom. Psalm 111:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding." Col 2: 2 & 3 "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." God is the source of wisdom. A wise woman is wise because she has been seeking God, learning and loving His precepts. James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God..." If you are facing a situation where you don't know the answer and you don't know which way to go, seek God. Ask Him for the wisdom to go in the direction that He is leading you, and He will be faithful to answer (in His time and way).

The Bible also has a lot to say about what foolishness is. I Corinthians 2: 19 "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight." What is the foolishness of this world? Basically anything the world says that goes against what the Bible says, and boy there's a lot of it! The world says that to be successful you must have money, beauty, the newest gadgets out there, the best computer, and the fastest phone. You must be beautiful and fit and you certainly must never let it show that you don't have it all together. To show that you are suffering or lacking in some way is to show weakness. The wisdom of Christ is "God first." The wisdom of the world is "me first, and boy you'd better not get in my way!" The Bible calls that foolishness.

A foolish woman is consumed with the world. She may love the Lord, but she loves things, the world, and/or herself more. She makes decisions based on her own comfort and desires. Unless you are daily spending time with God and in the Word, learning His precepts and loving His laws, it is easy to become this woman. Unfortunately, the consequence is that her choices and behavior act to tear down her home and her relationships with her husband and children, instead of make them stronger. A wise woman, therefore, seeks God in every aspect of her life. She acknowledges Him first, and offers up herself, her husband, her children, and her home to Him. She makes decisions prayerfully, and she builds a home that honors God.