The Foolish Woman’s Hands – Part 2

Most of us are very familiar with the virtuous woman who is described in Proverbs 31. It seems that this dear lady has at least two sets of hands to accomplish all she does in a day’s time. She’s up before daylight and doesn’t go to bed very early in the evening. In those waking hours she has taken care of her husband first, then her children and her household. She’s purchased food and a field, worked in the yard, sewn clothes, has been helpful to the needy and done it all with kindness and wisdom. She is indeed a wise woman.

The opposite of wisdom is folly, meaning the short-term self-indulgence which marks out the person who doesn’t think about long-term priorities and goals but lives on a day-to-day basis, asking, “What is the most fun thing to do now?” This is the goal of the foolish woman. Rather than using her hands wisely to build, she’s found in Proverbs 14:1 – The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish plucks it down with her hands. Here’s what a typical day of “plucking down” looks like:

The house is a wreck and needs a good cleaning, but she needs her beauty sleep today. Tomorrow looks like a good day to get those chores done. That Sunday school lesson needs to be read, but she got a novel at the library she’s been dying to get into. Laundry is piled up, but there’s a sale at the mall she’s heard about and she needs to run over there before she misses it. Everyone will have to just fend for themselves for supper tonight. Heaven knows, with all she’s had to do today she didn’t have time to prepare a meal too!

An old proverbs says, “Wishers and ‘woulders’ are poor housekeepers.” What’s keeping you from finishing the task you started months ago? Is the kitchen still needing the paint job to be finished? Did you start a scrapbook and not complete it? Is there a half-made baby afghan you were going to knit? A wise woman will finish the tasks at hand – dusting, dish washing, ironing, cooking; it will get done. Make yourself a list, ask the Lord to strengthen your hands today, then work wisely until the tasks are finished.