Photo Credit: theinspiredcafe.com

In the last nine blog posts, we have gotten a chance to really see how a WISE WOMAN BUILDS HER HOUSE. The wisdom this woman has in building her house allows her to plant a stake in the ground for her family.  She is not a woman who feels like she has no place in this world.  She’s confident that she does. She doesn’t entertain the idea that she is a non-entity in society.  She knows her worth.  She knows the value of her contributions.  She allows Christ Jesus to lead and guide her.  She knows the worth of her prayers, opening her home, raising godly children, etc.  [Read past posts starting here.]

Last time we peered into the life of the virtuous woman’s business mind in Proverbs 31:16.  She earned money and reinvested the money she earned.  To take this a step further, we said that the Virtuous Woman would do well to consider the return on the investments she makes both physically and spiritually when is comes to building her house.  Her investments of time, talent and treasure need the same consideration as if she were making a BIG purchase! She needs to count the cost to live out her best yes! That is certainly food for thought!

Let’s take a look at Proverbs 31:17-19:

First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
    rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work,
    is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
    diligent in homemaking.  MSG

I love the way this is worded.  Let’s dig further into the life of this Wise Woman.  As a practice, I get up in the morning and dress for ‘work’.  My ‘work’ clothes consists of sweatpants and a t-shirt.  I always believed that dressing for ‘work’ helped shape my mindset for the day.  Staying in pajamas all day…well…that would mean no work for me.  Some days I am eager to get started with my agenda.  Some days I like to linger a bit over a hearty breakfast and a good cup of coffee.  If I’m in my pj’s all day, I do not have a mindset to work but to relax.  That’s just me.  I try to steer clear of that. I give myself a deadline to accomplish the many tasks I have and I always make time to connect with God.  That’s a non-negotiable.

As A WISE WOMAN who BUILDS HER HOUSE, consider this: the way we do our jobs at home is directly related to the way we approach our job.  If I greet the day with “Good Morning, LORD”, my day is off to a grateful start.  If I approach my day with “Good lord, it’s morning”, then everything is built on that mindset.  I could only  pray that my day gets better from there.

Question, do you know the worth of your work?  Do you consider it to be mindless or less than?  I would encourage any woman struggling with her God-given work and its worth to talk to God about it.  I know that He will help you see the worth in the work He’s given you to do.  It’s essential to building your home.  The Virtuous Woman loved her work so much that she was in no hurry to call it quits for the day.  I want to believe that she loved creating an atmosphere for her family to thrive in – NOT just survive in everyday.  I want to believe that she received such joy from watching them thrive that she kept going.

Is there something that needs caring for at home?  A tattered sofa?  Neglected windows?Bare walls?  Have you considered re-purposing things to gain a better use somewhere else?  Perhaps moving a piece of furniture to be better used in another part of the home? Back in the day, I loved having a Christmas table that was beautifully coordinated.  I loved the look of a tablecloth, napkins, runner and perhaps a window covering that matched. Since I couldn’t afford those things ala carte, I bought 2 of the largest tablecloths they made.  I used one for the table and the other I cut up to make 6 napkins and a runner.  If I had anything left over I made a window topping.  I smile when I think about that now.  I loved connecting with my creative side.  I feel close to God when I do.  Have you connected with yours?

Lastly, if you awake eager to build your house, know the worth of your work, and aren’t in any hurry to call it quits for the day, I’d like to think that you are diligent in homemaking.  What do you think?

Happy Homemaking!!

+First Look:  What might God be saying to you from these verses (Prov 31:16-19)?

+Through The Looking Glass: Consider how you prepare for the day.  Does it prompt you to work diligently?  Do you call it quits before you begin?  Have you tapped into your creative bent?  How do these verses equip and challenge you to build your house?