Divine Design

Boiling point. That is where I had come to. As I sat on the floor in my office I thought, “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 probably 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 is my own choice; no one but mine. My kids don’t make me blow up. My husband doesn’t cause me to feel exasperated. Proverbs makes it pretty clear: it’s me.

That is a lot of power. I think 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 at 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 praise worthy. 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 and 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 as we scrub that toilet lined up with the good that is right under our roof.
Friend, invite the Holy Spirit to empower you today to build your home. Look for ways to invest; opportunities to hold back those words that tear down. He wants to make us builders; let’s say “yes”!

Want some more encouragement? Check out my good friend, Suzie’s book: The Mom I Want to Be: Rising Above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future. Just click here.

Lynn

2 Comments

  1. 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 praise worthy. 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.

    This paragraph you wrote was phenomal truth. In retrospect I see how influencial the woman is. Thank you God that you are the fountain of all new beginnings. It's never to late to start again.

  2. Proverbs 14 was part of my morning devotions one day this week. God truly is amazing. When He wants to tell me something He "hits" me with it from lots of angles. thanks for letting God use you to touch lives.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.