As a mother of beautiful, crazy toddlers, I constantly feel the need for wisdom. James 1:5 tells the believer “that if he or she lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously and without reproach.”
The Source of Wisdom for the Proverbs 31 Woman
Proverbs is literally a book all about wisdom. We find that it is bookended by the key to Solomon-like wisdom, with both its successes and joys (see Felecia Stephens’s related post, “Discover 2 Bookends in Proverbs”). Proverbs 1:7 tells us that true wisdom begins with “the fear of the Lord.”
Fast-forward to Proverbs 31, for the appearance of that inspiring, godly woman we all love and long to be. In verse 30, she is called a “woman who fears the Lord.” A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised! A woman who fears the Lord is this industrious, strong, graceful, kind, successful role model for all Christian women. Because this illustrious Proverbs 31 woman fears the Lord, she is wise.
When we begin to spend our time not just honing each individual characteristic of this Proverbs 31 woman, but also focusing on the source of her wisdom which spans every area of her life, we see that there is literally nothing more valuable or useful than biblical knowledge of our great God. He is the source of all wisdom for all things — because, after all, this is His world!
The God-Given Wisdom of Solomon
Look again to Solomon. He is heralded as the wisest man to ever live. He asked God for wisdom, and was then promptly put to the test (1 Kings 3:16-28). The story is bizarre, yet familiar. Two prostitutes come to him with one baby. He hears their tragic story about a child who died in the night, and now they are both claiming the remaining child. Solomon says to cut the baby in half, and each mother take a piece. The true mother, desperate to save her baby’s life, speaks up, “Oh my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.”
Solomon’s wise plan drew out the true mother. Believe it or not, this scenario had not come up during Solomon’s Kingship 101 course! The wisdom that he received from God overflowed into every area of his life, including this impossible case.
Trusting in God’s Wisdom for All Situations
Growing in the knowledge of God and allowing that knowledge to inform all of your decisions is intensely practical — not just for theologians or writers or teachers…but for me and you! I need wisdom, not just from Christian friends or mom-blogs, on a host of everyday situations. Questions like…
- “How should I respond to my children’s sin in the grocery store?”
- “How much does my eighteen-month-old really understand when it comes to discipline?” or
- “What about sleep schedules?”
…might not be answered through a chapter and verse in God’s Word. But if He says that He is the source of all wisdom, then I would do well to believe him and ask! Trusting God to lead us is a lot easier when we know Him.
The Incomparable Wisdom of God’s Word
Thankfully, God has not made Himself a mystery to us. We currently have more resources available to us than any other age of Christians. However, we must be careful to be women of the Book, God’s Word, first and foremost.
Growing in godliness really boils down to maintaining focus on God’s perfect grace in the Gospel towards a sinner like me. So, pursue the knowledge of our good God, and the plethora of promises that come as a result (like the wisdom we need to be godly women) are yours.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
