One recent windy day, David and the boys decided they would like to spend
some time flying kites. They gathered
all the necessary supplies and began building away. As I stood nearby watching their activity,
Caleb asked me if I remembered building kites with them at our old house. I smiled remembering the day with
fondness.
“Mama, I hope these kites work better than yours did.”
Just a little crestfallen, I listened as Nathan chimed in, “Yeah Mama,
your kite didn’t work because you aren’t a good builder like us and Daddy. But don’t worry, Mama, even if you aren’t a
good builder, you are a good reader…and a good cooker.”
Ah, the encouragement of a little one is so true. You see, I am not a good builder. My kites were a mess of string and torn
garbage bags, while the kites made by their dad soared high and fast.
While God has not gifted me with the skills of a good builder, there is a
verse in His word that calls all of us women to be a builder of one of the most
important aspects of our worlds- our home.
The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her
own hands. Proverbs 14:1
Such a quick
treasure of God’s truth tucked in amongst many others. It is easy to read it, nod in agreement and
move on. Yet, while I hope we will nod in agreement today, I don’t want to miss
out on the far reaching implications of this verse for myself or for you.
The truth of
this verse applies to all of us- whether we are married or single, in the
throes of children or empty nesters, young or mature. We as women have the unique ability to build
and shape our homes.
If you are
single , you have the choice of whether your house will be a sanctuary or a
place of gripping loneliness. If you are
raising children, you have the choice of whether your home will be a place of
encouraging love or sharp criticism.
Every woman in this room is the builder of her home. While we are often not alone in this building
process (our families definitely pitch in for good or bad), it is our
responsibility to do our best to build and shape our home to be a place of
Christ-centered love and peace.
I would even
go so far as to say as women of the church, it is our responsibility to build
up our spiritual home, our local body of believers, as well. This church is your home of worship. As wise women of God, part of our task is not
only to build up our place of physical living, but also our place of spiritual
living. God desires to use each of you
and the talents with which He has gifted you to serve the church and one
another. As wise women of God, we will
be used by Him to build up His church, creating in it a spirit of worship and love.
Before we go
on to talk about how we do this- what are the things that God uses to build up
and how we tear down with our own hands- I think we should pause for a moment
and consider a key part of this verse. Let’s
read it again.
The wise woman builds her house, but
the foolish tears it down with her own hands. Proverbs 14:1
It is the WISE woman that builds her house. So, what makes a woman wise? Is it knowing how to cook a five course
dinner, while raising perfect children in an immaculate house? I hope not, because I definitely missed that
boat if so. No, I think it is much, much
more.
Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom. This is echoed again in Psalm
111. To fear the Lord- not in a scary
movie, dark night, spooky noise kind of way- but to fear God in a reverential,
awestruck, God is HUGE kind of way- that my friend, is the beginning of
wisdom.
We become wise women by recognizing who God is. He is the Creator of the
Universe. Colossians 1, speaking of Jesus, states, “16 For by
him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things
were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all
things, and in him all things hold together.”
As we begin to get a small understanding of who God is, we cannot help
but to see who we are as well. You and I
will never be the wise woman in ourselves.
No, you and I and all others have failed God, we have sinned and in
ourselves are the very enemies of God, deserving nothing but His wrath.
BUT GOD, being rich in love mercy, through His grace alone, sent us His
son, Jesus the Christ, who lived the perfect life and died the death we
deserved so that we might be forgiven and adopted into the family of God. Jesus Christ, who has all authority in heaven
and earth has authority over our lives.
Becoming the wise woman is not about attending church, reading our Bible,
or trying to be the “good Christian woman,” the wise woman is one who
recognizes God’s authority over her life and then surrenders her life fully to
Him. Being a wise woman is not about
praying a prayer one-time, making a single decision- To be a wise
woman, to be disciple of Christ, is to live a life surrendered to Him.
Friends, before we go on, we need to ask ourselves that question, am I a
wise woman? Am I a disciple of Christ?
Am I living my life surrendered to His Lordship and authority? This is too big of a question not to ask
ourselves or one another. Nothing else
that we think of and nothing else that we talk about today will make a
difference like the answer to that question.
I urge you, sisters, if you have
never come to the end of yourself and cried out to God for forgiveness of your
sins, submitting yourself to the saving Lordship of Jesus, do that today and
become the wise woman that God desires you to be.
For it is the wise woman, the woman who fears God, the woman who knows
God intimately, the woman who is surrendered to His authority over her life, it
is this wise woman who builds her house.
-part 1 of 3 of a talk Wendi shared with the women of Westminster Presbyterian Church this past week