"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1 (NIV)
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Boiling point. That is what I had reached as I sat on the floor in my office thinking, "How did I get here?" Was it the discovery of a third needed root canal in my son's mouth only one week before he started college? Maybe it was the discussion of who was going to take over his room when he left? It was also my daughter's new job which required me to provide transportation right in the middle of the day. I guess at that point it didn't really matter. I could feel a slow boil in my heart and I feared an explosion was nearing the surface.
Proverbs 14:1 instructed me that morning with exactly what I needed to hear, "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down" (NIV).
The choice was and is mine: to be part of the divine design or the devil's demolition. My kids don't make me blow up. My husband doesn't cause me to feel exasperated. Proverbs makes it pretty clear, it's my choice.
That is a lot of power. I think, at least in America where for years women have fought for equal rights, we've missed this enormous amount of power that we have held since Eve was created: the power to build a home.
We hear of women who build innovative businesses and women who build influential ministries, but how about women who build solid homes, investing in lifelong marriages and raising up godly children as the next generation? Proverbs says this woman is wise. Never mind what society says is valuable and praiseworthy. This power is of utmost importance. This tremendous power that is within us is the power to build or destroy and we, the women of the home, hold it.
Learning to wield this power isn't something that just happens. Jesus gives insight in Matthew 12:34 when He says that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Our mouths are one of our primary tools. So, what is the mouth's source? Our heart.
That is why we have to be so careful what we allow to linger there. Is it positive thoughts about our kid's, their behavior, their future, their friends? Do we think good things about our husbands throughout the day, thankful for their hard work, grateful for their companionship?
If our mouths are currently being used to tear down instead of build up, it's time for a heart overhaul; time to get the thoughts that we dwell on lined up with the good that is right under our roof.
Friend, I hope you will join me, inviting the Holy Spirit to empower you today to build your home. Look for ways to invest and opportunities to hold back those words that tear down. He wants to make us builders. Let's say "yes"!
Lord, I want to build today. I can see what this day holds: driving in carpool, washing dirty clothes, making another supper and learning third grade math…again. Open my eyes and shut my mouth when my actions are leaning toward destruction. May I choose inspiration, not irritation. Make me a builder empowered by your Holy Spirit with strength and wisdom. Thank You for this incredible opportunity. May I make You proud! Amen.
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Related Resources:
The Mom I Want to Be: Rising Above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future by T. Suzanne Eller
Would you like more ideas on how to build a bridge to your child’s heart? Stop by
Lynn’s blog for an opportunity to win her teaching CD on doing just that.
What a Husband Needs from His Wife by Melanie Chitwood
She's Gonna Blow! Real Help For Dealing With Mom Anger by Julie Ann Barnhill
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Application Steps:Start a Bible study with some friends or neighbors choosing to focus on either marriage or raising kids. Click
here to find some great studies to help you get started.
Visit our
Everyday Life section to read more encouraging articles on family life.
Reflections:What time of the day do you find most difficult when it comes to being a woman who builds and invests positively in your family?
In addition to spending time in prayer and reading God's Word, what do you need to do to be successful in building up your home: accountability with friends, more sleep, a better diet, exercise?
Power Verses:
Proverbs 14:8, "The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception." (NIV)
© 2010 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.