Proverbs 14:1. The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.
Obviously Solomon is not talking about the literal construction of a house, even though many women could literally build their own home. Rather he is talking about the management of the home in every aspect – socially, economically, emotionally, spiritually (consider the woman of Proverbs 31).
In Solomon’s day the household, or family, was the primary legal and social unit, unlike today where the individual carries that distinction. There was no such thing as self-autonomy or personal freedom back then. A wise and righteous person did everything for the good of the household. And this was not limited to the man of the house. In this patriarchal society, Solomon is showing us the importance of both the husband and wife toward the building of a happy home. Truly a home is built best when a man and a woman work together to build it.
The contrast is the foolish woman’s destruction of the family with her own hands. Her own choices and actions are destroying her family’s joy and peace. Proverbs 9 described the woman folly as loud, boisterous, and ignorant of the fear of the Lord. In 2 Timothy, Paul describes foolish women this way:
2 Timothy 3:6-7. 6For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
Weak women. Piling up sins. Controlled by their passions, rather than being controlled by the truth.
Does that describe you? Do you bounce around from class to class, Bible study to Bible study, but never seem to be able to control your desire to control? Are you full of information about the Bible without being full of the love of Christ? Are you building up your family by the power of real gospel truth and conversation, or are you manipulating your family into looking like a good Christian family, yet devoid of real spiritual growth?
The truth of this Proverb is not only for married women is it? All women in Christ are part of his household of faith, the church. A wise woman builds up the church. How? By the truth of the gospel. She knows who she is in Christ. She understands the power of the resurrection life that lives in her by the Spirit. She is encouraging, teaching, warning, loving, forgiving, serving, and strengthening the children of God. She is actively helping to build the church of Christ on the solid ground of his eternal life, and she forsakes anything that would tear it down.
You: Ladies, in what ways are you building your household on the solid rock of the gospel?
You in Christ: How does your union with Christ prevent you from slipping into following your passions over following him?
Christ in you: “Always learning and never able to arrive at the truth.” How can Christ in you be your guide into the truth of who he truly is? How can you guard against being puffed up with knowledge without it changing your heart?
Pray: Father, I know that you have called me to build up the church in the love and truth of Christ. Show me any ways that I may be tearing others down with my words or deeds. Amen.
To Live is Christ 