Proverbs 14: 1 (NKJV)
"The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands."
A wise woman builds her home, a foolish one tears it down. We as women are called to, and empowered to build up lives. We are graced to build up our marriages, families, homes, churches, organisations, communities and nation. God has put in us the ability to build. We are to enhance, to make better, to make beautiful, to make happen. We are not to destroy, tear down what we should be building up with our own hands.
What we say and do will determine whether we are wise and building, or foolish and tearing down. My dear sister, build up with your words, with your actions, with your attitudes, with your talents, abilities and spiritual giftings, with your strengths, with your time, with your creativity, with your personality, with your intellect, with your money and with your daily choices. Let’s not be foolish and destroy with these things that are meant to be used to build up.
We can always learn from some women in the Bible. Let’s first look at some who did not make the best of choices and see the results. Queen Vashti was not wise and because of one wrong decision of being stubborn and rebellious she lost her position as Queen (Esther 1). Sarah made the unwise decision of asking her husband to go into her servant Hagai for a child and when Hagai conceived she despised her (Genesis 16). The world at large is still suffering from that unwise choice Sarah made. Rebekah made the choice to manipulate things to favour her favourite son Jacob, producing enmity and hatred between her own 2 sons (Genesis 27). Did God need her help to bring about His purposes? The answer is No. God was and is big enough to bring His will t pass without the help any human being. Lot’s wife looked back because she was more concerned about the world she had left behind, and she became a pillar of salt. She left her husband and children behind and because of the choice she made, her children ended up committing incest with their father. She was not there to guide them against this wrong doing (Genesis 19). Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden and both she and Adam lost that which God had given to them. The effects of that choice to disobeyed are so far reaching that the world is still under the evil effects of it (Genesis 3)
Now let’s look at some examples of wise women in the Bible.
Abigail was a wise woman and made wise choices. Even though the Bible describes her husband as “harsh and evil in his doings”. Through her choices, she helped save her all household without fighting her husband. Subsequently she even went on to because the wife of King David without her seeking for this (1 Samuel 25). Esther was wise and walked in wisdom. She listened to the counsel of others (Hegai and Mordecai). She sought God in fasting. She was not hasty to speak or act. She was a woman full of wisdom who ended up helping to save a whole nation from destruction (Esther – the whole book). Hannah walked in wisdom. She did not respond to the taunts and provocation of her husband’s other wife Peninnah but instead went to the house of the Lord to seek for the help of the Lord. She ended up bring forth a prophet son and several other children (1 Samuel 1 and 2). Jochebed (Moses’ Mother) was wise and spiritually in tune. A woman of the spirit who saw that Moses was special child. She recognised it without being told and made the right choices that meant that Moses was brought up by Pharaoh’s daughter in the palace of Pharaoh. She contributed to seeing Moses walk through the journey of becoming the vessel that God used, to deliver the children of Israel from bondage (Exodus 2). Finally, the Proverbs 31 woman speaks for itself. So wise and a builder in every aspect. She builds her household, her servants, her husband, her children, so much they rise up and call her blessed and praise her. May that be our portion in Jesus name
Let’s learn from these women.
To be a wise builder, you cannot do it in your own strength. You need the word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I pray that we will all draw closer than before to the scriptures and to the person of the Holy Spirit. When we do that, we will gain heavenly wisdom, that will help is to build and not tear down foolishly.
Grace to you my dear sister as you begin to build…
Agape