Proverbs 14:1 - Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
Here Solomon contrasts once again between wisdom and folly, as in many other verses in Proverbs.
And often, in all these verses, we find foolish people to be at one end of the spectrum and the wise people to be at the other end.
In this verse, Solomon applies wisdom to the home and particularly to the woman of the house.
But before we go into this, it is necessary to understand how Bible defines the worth of a woman. Different religions, different cultures and different races have often given different meanings and have different understanding of what they think a woman is worth. We need to understand what the scripture teaches us because that transcends everything else. It is this definition that gives us the identity. And this identity will help us understand our purpose in life.
We find the definition in the beginning.
Genesis 1:27,28
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
God created them male and female, equally in the image of God. No one has more of the image of God than the other. It is amazing that the scriptures begin with this equality. And together to them, to both the male and the female, God gave them the responsibility to manage and the authority to rule the earth. They were to do this work together as good stewards of God.
In the New Testament, Paul echoes the same sentiment
Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
We are called to be interdependent as we co-exist in planet earth, as Paul also says in
1 Corinthians 11:11-12 - Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.
With this in context, let us come again to this verse:
Proverbs 14:1 - Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established.” Proverbs 24:3
It is important to understand that the term ‘house’ does not refer to physical house; rather, it refers to a home or a family. As a woman, it is an important responsibility that God has given, to build your home.
There are three ways a wise woman can build her home.
1. Building through a strong foundation
The strength of any house or any building lies in its foundation. Stronger the foundation, stronger the building. The house may be magnificent, the location of the house may be splendid, but if the foundation is weak, there is something wrong. The house cannot withstand any storm or any cyclone. The taller you want a building, the deeper the foundation has to be! Only then, it can bear the load of the building and hold it upright.
The same is true to our Christian homes.
Jesus also spoke about the importance of having a strong foundation, in his parable of a man who built the house on rock and the one who built on sand.
We read in Matthew 7:24-27 – What does Jesus say is the strong foundation one can lay?
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
The WORD OF GOD is the strong foundation. In vs. 24, it is clear, the knowledge of the Word of God is not the strong foundation. It is the application of the Word of God that is a strong foundation. It is important that the Word of God is put into practice.
Similarly, a wise woman would build her home on this strong foundation of God’s word.
Only if you are rooted in the word of God, you will be able to withstand any problem or any storm. You and your entire household will be unshaken. Only if you are rooted in the Word of God, you can speak words of faith in all the situation that you are facing. Otherwise, you will be just complaining, grumbling and growing bitter.
When situations are not favourable, be careful what words come out of your mouth. Are you speaking positive words? Are you speaking words of faith?
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers (Ephesians 4:29).
When we encourage our children, we need to build them up through the Word of God. You can speak God’s promises over your personal life, over your situation and over your children.
Also it is important that you teach the next generation about the laws of God. Timothy’s mother and grandmother both realized this. Timothy was one of the finest leaders in the early church. He was someone whom Apostle Paul greatly trusted and appreciated. Timothy had been a fellow missionary along with Paul.
But if you see Timothy’s childhood life, he had grown up in a house with a dad who was not a believer. Yet Timothy had strong faith and was completely committed to God and ministry. How was it possible? Paul spells it out for us. He says the faith that you have has been inherited from your mother Eunice and grandmother Lois. We read it in 2 Timothy 1:5 - when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.
From his childhood, the holy scriptures were taught to him.
and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Tim 3:15
Like Timothy’s mother and grandmother, we need to set up godly examples for our children.
Faith and Laws of God can be inherited. And we need to carefully pass it on to the next generation. That is the most important responsibility that we have. Right from the Old Testament, God has been asking His people to do so.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 11:18,19 - Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
What does it mean to ‘tie them as symbols on your hands and to bind them on your foreheads’ It means you constantly remind yourself of God’s Word.
When you are rooted in His word and you begin to apply God’s words in your lives, you are building your home on a Solid Rock – a very strong foundation. And you can be 100 percent sure, your home will never be shaken, your family will never be broken.
2. Building through a strong connection
The foundation is extremely important. And we need to build our homes on a solid foundation – Jesus Christ and His word.
But again, it is important that the building or the house is strongly connected to this Solid Rock. If that connection is not strong, over time, the building will lose its strength.
In the same way, as a woman, when you build your homes, you need to make sure you are connected to the Solid Rock at all times. The connection happens only through your relationship with God. Spend more time with God, spend more time in prayer, so your relationship with God grows stronger day by day.
Luke 23:28 - 31 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
We are living in the last days and it is extremely important that we cover our children with our prayers, so they will be able to stand in faith at all times. Even when tribulations begins or persecution arise, their faith will never be shaken.
Prayer takes away all kinds of anxieties within us. That is why Paul says in Philippians 4:6 - “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
When you spend time alone with God in prayer, your kids watch you, your family watches over you. You are to be a role model to those around you. Pray over your spouse, and over your children. This is absolutely essential. The survival of every Christian home is centered around prayer. As you pray, ensure that your family is also connected with Christ at all times. Make sure you pray together as family.
Seek God’s help to raise a godly generation. Because if you try to build a home with your own strength, that can never be possible. We need to rely on God and God alone.
3. Building your home with strong bricks
Stronger the bricks, stronger the house. What are the bricks a woman can use to build her home?
Let’s read Titus 2:3 - Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,
If your home is built with love, it is a happy and a joyful home. Creating an environment of love and affection is extremely important.
In Eph 5:22, Paul asks wives to submit themselves to their own husbands and in vs 25, Pauls also asks husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Here we find, women are asked to love their husbands and their children.
Our homes must be places of ‘unconditional love’ or ‘sacrificial love’. Where there is unconditional love, as 1 Corinthians 13 says, there is no envy, no anger, no pride, no record of wrongs. On the contrary, love always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres and is never self-seeking.
There are so many ways you can express this love to those at home. It is necessary to spend quality time with our spouse and with our children. Even simple things like having meals together, sitting with children and listening to them can create an atmosphere of love.
Bible shows us a picture of a model woman in Proverbs 31. This was written by mother of Lemuel. She is a virtuous woman (vs. 10). She is trustworthy (vs. 11). She is good (vs. 12). She is industrious (vs. 13-22). She demonstrates compassion (vs. 20). She has strength and honour (vs. 25). She is watchful (vs. 27). She fears the Lord (vs. 30)
Conclusion
Build with strong foundation of WORD OF GOD
Build with a strong connection through PRAYER
Build with strong brick of LOVE
