What if you lived your whole life thinking you were a smart and empowered woman only to get to Heaven and discover you were actually quite foolish? Thoughts like these stop me in my tracks all the time. They scare me. The thought of spending my whole life striving after what I believed to be right, only to find out I was wrong, is a sobering and tragic thought.
We live in a day and age where examining our motives, character, actions, and thoughts isn’t something we’re encouraged to do. Instead, we’re encouraged to be “empowered” in the things that make us feel good. The things that make us feel confident and successful. The things that make us happy.
The problem with this type of living is that it makes each person their own judge. Each individual person gets to decide their own definition of wisdom and foolishness.
As nice as this might sound, it doesn’t work long term.
At the end of our lives, we will each stand before God Himself and give a personal account of the life we lived (Romans 14:12, 2 Corinthians 5:10). Our lives won’t be judged on a sliding scale of “what felt good,” but rather, “what truly was good.”
We will no longer be the judge — God will.
With that reality in mind, wouldn’t it make sense for us to begin the self-evaluation process now? Wouldn’t it be nice to know if the lives we’re living as women are considered foolish or wise in God’s eyes?
Thankfully, God doesn’t leave us guessing. Being the loving Creator and Father that He is, He’s given us a measurable standard to evaluate our lives by.
The book of Proverbs is one of those divine tools.
I was reading Proverbs 9 the other and came across a really interesting section that inspired the theme of this post. Proverbs 9 is actually divided into two distinct sections: The first section is called “The Way of Wisdom” and the second section is called “The Way of Folly.” This Proverb lays out a very clear picture of what wisdom looks like and what folly looks like.
If we, as Christian women, want to be considered wise in God’s eyes, this passage will help learn how.
Let’s check it out.
In Proverbs 9 there are two very different type of “women” presented to us. The first woman could be named Lady Wisdom and the second one could be named Madam Folly. As we look carefully at each of these women, let’s do some honest self-evaluation and decide which lady we most resemble.
Lady Wisdom (Proverbs 9:1-18)
- Lady Wisdom loves her family and always has their best interest in mind (v. 1-2).
- She doesn’t go along with what’s popular, but rather boldly calls others to a higher standard (v. 4-6).
- She uses discernment in conversation and doesn’t waste time arguing with foolish people who aren’t interested in wisdom (v. 7-8).
- She loves wise counsel and seeks it out. She is eager to grow in wisdom and truth (v. 9).
- She knows that true knowledge can only come from God. She looks to God as the author of truth and the ultimate authority in her life (v. 10).
- She understands that the fear of God is essential to being a wise woman (v.10).
- She is focused on the big picture and wants to live a life she won’t regret (v. 11-12).
Madame Folly (Proverbs 9:13-18)
- Madam Folly is loud and foolish. You don’t have to wonder if she’s around (v. 13).
- She uses her feminine allure and beautiful body to sexually entice men who aren’t her husband (v. 13).
- She longs for the attention of men and is constantly on the hunt for it (v. 14).
- She is aggressive and pursues men in order to get what she wants (v. 15).
- She isn’t interested in wise counsel, but rather, gravitates towards foolish people (v. 16).
- She loves being naughty and convinces herself that sin is actually fulfilling (v. 17).
- She focused on instant pleasure and pursues whatever seems fun regardless of the long-term consequences (v. 18).
- She is blind to her sin and can’t see the deadly path that she, or her friends, are going down (v. 18).
Quite the contrast between those two women, right?
Here’s the deal. Lady Wisdom isn’t wise because of random chance. She is wise because she intentionally chose the path of wisdom. She chose the path of God…of life. On the other hand, Madame Folly chose the path of foolishness and sin. She decides what is right and what is wrong, rather than looking to God’s Word.
Just like these two hypothetical women, we have a choice to make in our lives right now. We can either choose the path of foolishness by listening to our hearts and pop culture, or we can choose the path of wisdom by listening to God’s word and obeying His truth.
I know I have a long way to go, but I desire to be a modern woman who is like Lady Wisdom. I want to live my life in a way that truly pleases God. I want my life to impact others and encourage them towards Christ and His goodness.
I hope you will join me in striving after Lady Wisdom too!
Over the next few days, I want to encourage you to read Proverbs 9 for yourself. Pray and ask God to show you which lady you’re more like. Take some notes and journal your thoughts and prayers. Ask God to help you become a Lady Wisdom in your life right now.
Let’s chat below!
- What stood out to you about Lady Wisdom’s descriptions?
- Why do you think Madame Folly’s life looks fun but ultimately leads to death?
- Who is a modern Lady Wisdom that you know right now?
