This podcast covers Lesson 8 of Everyday Women, Ever-Faithful God Bible Study by Melanie Newton.
Abigail—Having a Wise Heart
God is glad when our hearts are wise. Wisdom from Proverbs.
Wisdom & A Woman’s Heart
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
- In biblical language, the heart is the center of the human spirit. Our emotions, thoughts, motivations, and actions—the wellspring of life—all of those things spring from our hearts. Being wise is a quality of the heart—not just education of the mind.
“We all possess knowledge. But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.” (1 Corinthians 8:1)
- Knowledge is proud that it has learned so much. But, it’s not being smart that makes us wise! It’s our hearts—your choices and my choices of what to do with what we know! God’s desire for us as women is that we have wise hearts!
The Foolish Woman: What kind of heart does she have?
- The foolish woman’s heart is undisciplined and ruled by her emotions. She acknowledges nothing of truth. She is self-centered, wanting prominence and seeking attention. She offers excitement to those around her but delivers danger. She’s empty. She lacks discretion. Her heart is willfully destructive with no thought for consequences. It sucks the life out of those around her. Proverbs 9:13-18; Proverbs 11:22; Proverbs 30:15
- Women like this never seem to learn the lesson of how to make good choices. And, their bad choices affect those who live around them.
The Contentious Woman: What kind of heart does she have?
- The contentious woman’s heart is quarrelsome. It stirs up trouble and is ill-tempered. That involves complaining, whining, & nagging. Being in her presence is as aggravating as a constant drip-drip-drip from the faucet. She drives away family. Her heart has determined to be contentious! Proverbs 27:15-16; Proverbs 19:13; Proverbs 21:9, 19
- The contentious woman is not necessarily lazy or undisciplined like the foolish woman. She might be a perfectionist or overachiever. Perfectionists can be very contentious.
“Perfectionists are people who not only hold unrealistically high standards but also judge themselves or others as always falling short. The thing about perfectionists is that they don’t ever experience satisfaction…Nothing is ever good enough.”
- You know women like this who are never satisfied. Maybe this describes you. God expects faithfulness from us, not perfection. Having a contentious heart is not good.
The Immoral Woman: What kind of heart does she have?
- Proverbs 7 describes the immoral woman as defiant, restless, deliberate, and scheming. She rejects and deserts her covenant partner. Her heart is seductive, persuading others for evil. And, she denies accountability for her behavior. Proverbs 7:5-23; Proverbs 2:16-19; 5:3-6; 6:24-29; 12:4; 20:16; 22:14; 23:27-28
"This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.'” (Proverbs 30:20)
- A woman who is deliberately doing this behavior may have spent years of gradually letting herself be drawn into this kind of heart and lifestyle.
The Wise Woman: What kind of heart does she have?
- The wise woman’s heart is kindhearted and respectful. She is described as someone who builds up her household or family. She firmly establishes it, causing it to continue. Her heart is others-focused, and she sees the long-term consequences of her actions.
“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” (Proverbs 14:1)
- The description of the woman in Proverbs 31 is a practical application of Proverbs 14:1. It is a poem that uses examples from a middle-class woman’s daily life around the time of Abigail and Bathsheba. This poem illustrates what a wise heart looks like in the everyday life of a woman who is building her house, not tearing it down. This poem assumes an educated woman—that she had the skills needed for her life in her world.
What kind of heart do you want to have?
- God’s desire for you is that you have a wise heart. That begins with a faith relationship with Him. Then, have an attitude of seeking to learn from Him and choose to approach life God’s way. Not the world’s way or your own way. He wants to help you make wise choices because He loves you.
- It takes practice and skill to learn any craft. It also takes practice to live God’s way. Plan how you will improve your skills by learning Bible verses that lead to having a wise heart.
- Anticipate what will be your biggest hindrance. You know where you struggle and why. Ask God to enable you to overcome that. You are not alone. You have a God who loves you and has already given you the resources you need to become a wise woman.
- The Holy Spirit living inside of all Christians gives you access to the wisdom from God moment by moment. So, you can approach God humbly and ask Him for what you need to fulfill your purpose as a woman, wife, mother, or grandmother.
You can walk from fear to faith with a wise heart.
Joyful Walk Bible Studies by Melanie Newton are available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.