Tuesday's Truth- A Wise Woman

I am going to attempt something new here at the ol' blog. In an attempt to help me write more consistently, I am giving a theme to each day of the week. On Tuesdays, I hope to share a truth that God has been teaching me lately. Here's one for today!

In our Women's Biblestudy we have been studying Proverbs. What a blessing this book of the Bible is! I have learned so much not only about God (how cool is it that our Creator would communicate to us through poetry!) but also about how to live our lives day to day. We have also seen how Jesus shines through the pages of Proverbs, such a blessing!

This week we are studying what Proverbs says about the family, specifically, marriage. It has been very convicting in many ways. But one verse stood out to me:

"A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands." (14:1)

One of the things that I have appreciated about Proverbs is it's use of imagery and how helpful that is to convey the meaning of a verse. This image of building a house or tearing it down has made me ask the following questions:

~In what ways am I a wise woman?
Do I listen to the Word with understanding?
Do I accept a rebuke graciously?
Do I receive instruction humbly?
Am I slow to speak?
Do I overlook offenses?
Do I speak words of encouragement at the right time?
Am I discerning?
Do I fear the Lord above all else?

~In what ways am I a foolish woman?
Do I gossip and slander others?
Do I use harsh words, and thus, stir up wrath?
Do I rush to judgment?
Do I act as if I know everything?
Am I unteachable?
Am I proud?
Do I trust in myself and my own thoughts?
Do I share my opinion without knowledge of the situation?
Am I deceived about myself?

When I ask those questions in light of the image of building a home, it is quite convicting! I want to model wisdom for my children, I want to be a crown for my husband, not a cancer in his bones. I walk a fine line most of the time between being wise and being a fool. But this Proverb helps me to see that that fine line can be dangerous- I certainly don't want to tear down my home with my own hands! But there are times it seems like I can do nothing else.

And then there is this truth: "God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin." 1 Corinthians 1:30

How freeing it is that I am not a wise woman based on how hard I try to get it right but on Jesus, who is wisdom! When I received Christ, I received wisdom and freedom from sin.
Praise God, that's a foundation worth building on!