The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands. Proverbs 14:1
Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible:
“A good wife is a great blessing to a family. By a fruitful wife a family is multiplied and replenished with children, and so built up. But a prudent wife, one that is pious, industrious, and considerate, the affairs of the family are made to prospers, debts are paid, portions raised, provision made, the children well educated and maintained, and the family has comfort within the doors and credit without; thus is the house built. She looks upon it as her own to take care of, though she knows it is her husband’s to bear rule in, Esth. 1:22.2. Many a family is brought to ruin by ill housewifery, as well as by ill husbandry. A foolish woman, that has no fear of God nor regard to her business, that is wilful, and wasteful, and humoursome, that indulges her ease and appetite, and is all for jaunting and feasting, cards and the play-house, though she come to a plentiful estate, and to a family beforehand, she will impoverish and waste it, and will as certainly be the ruin of her house as is she plucked it down with her hands; and the husband himself, with all his care, can scarcely prevent it.”
Emily and I have been doing a Bible study for girls and the above was today’s lesson. I thought it was so poignant for today as in 2008. I think that this spoke to me as much as it did her. One of the many things God is working on with my family this year is organization and making sure my family comes before all of the busy things we do. So, when I read this, it touched a nerve. But a soft, sweet nerve.
So many moms today were not taught how to build a house. A wife is a blessing to her family! That is how we build a house! But, have we fallen short? I took this line by line to see. Try to take it line by line yourself. Are you putting God first and teaching your children to? Are you helping to make sure the debts are paid by not spending too much? Are your children well educated and maintained? Is your family comfortable in your own home? That doesn’t just mean is your home clean, but also, is the atmosphere comfortable. Is your husband the head of the household or do you run him? Do you look at your home as a privilege to take care of instead of a burden? Hmmm…..
Is it making you think? It sure made me think. I asked Emily in our discussion how you could be a wise woman and she said, “Letting people respect me and letting them know I respect them. ” Then I asked her how to keep from tearing a house a down and she replied, “By being loyal to God, not being mean and a big list of stuff.” I thought it was really neat that even at 9 years old she was able to put today’s study with respect, loyalty and being kind with being a wise woman.
But, it is up to me to demonstrate this every day to her and my family. I have to show her how to be a wise woman lest she pulls her own house down with her hands.
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