Day 47: Woman, Don't Be A Drip!

Proverbs 27:15-16

New Living Translation (NLT)

Photo by Dave Gostisha (ziptrivia @ sxc.hu)

¹⁵ A quarrelsome wife is as annoying
    as constant dripping on a rainy day.
¹⁶ Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind
    or trying to hold something with greased hands.

***

Have you ever lain in bed, unable to sleep because of a constant dripping coming from the bathroom faucet? There may not be anything as annoying as the constant drip-drip-drip in the stillness of night. What is barely even noticeable during the day seems to bounce off every wall in the house, echoing in your ears til you are on the brink of insanity.

You can probably picture someone you know, right now, who could be labeled as a drip. Maybe you've even been a drip! But would you believe that is exactly how scripture describes a nagging wife? Well of course you can, because I'm sure you read the scripture at the top! Notice it doesn't just stop at describing a naggy wife as a drip, it goes on to point out that once she gets started, there is no stopping her!

I'd love to let you guys off the hook and blame it all on the woman, but I can't. Because it's that unwritten law found in that imaginary "husband's handbook" that says "if the wife ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" So bear that in mind, guys. If you're giving your wife the love and attention she needs, she's not going to have time to think up things to nag about. 

Now, back on the subject, if you're a woman, this chapter is about how to be a good wife. If you're a guy hoping to one day find a wife to settle down with, keep reading, because you'll want to find one with the following qualities! 

The Virtues of a God Wife 

(Proverbs 30:10-31)

^10 [a]Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
    She is more precious than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband can trust her,
    and she will greatly enrich his life.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.

There is nothing more beautiful than a wife with good character. Her physical attributes aren't nearly as important in the long run, because we all get old and saggy at some point anyway. Even scripture says that beauty is fleeting. (v.30)  But it also says that a virtuous woman is more precious than gemstones! So what gives a woman good character?

Her husband is able to trust her. Her honesty and integrity enriches his life. Not just in the honeymoon phase, but for as long as she lives, she will make sure she never brings dishonor on him.

She's domesticated... she knows how to manage a home, recognizing that her responsibility is to take care of her family. She prepares the meals (including breakfast! I bet my husband wishes I'd do that more often!) She makes sure the laundry is done and that everyone has clean clothes, and i she's able to delegate the workload among the kids... or if she's lucky, the housekeeper, cook, and nanny. 

¹⁵ 

She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household

    and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. (v.15)

She's takes care of  the household business... She may not actually plant a garden in this day and age, but she certainly does the grocery shopping, and she is frugal about it. 

She works hard at whatever she does, whether she's clipping coupons to save money, or hand-crafting items to earn money, or even if she works outside the home, she makes sure that whatever she does, her family is benefited by it.

She goes to inspect a field and buys it;

    with her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ 

She is energetic and strong,

    a hard worker.

¹⁸ 

She makes sure her dealings are profitable;

    her lamp burns late into the night. (v.16-18)

She's a kind-hearted woman who is always willing to help others. Maybe she volunteers at the shelter, donates to the food bank, visits the elderly in nursing homes. She always makes time for those who are less fortunate. And that's a really important quality, because that kind of selflessness ensures that she'll be there to take care of her family, immediate and extended, when someone is sick.

She extends a helping hand to the poor

    and opens her arms to the needy. (v.19-20)

Did I mention craftsy earlier? Yes, I did. Not everybody is talented in that way, but everybody has a skill they can market. If you have a skill, use it! If you can sew, make clothes! If you can quilt, make bedspreads! If you can make bath and beauty products, make batches! But don't just do it as a hobby, sell your work. Even scripture speaks highly of a woman who sets herself up in business. And she will run that business with the same integrity that she does everything else, and earn a high reputation because of her work.

She makes her own bedspreads.

    She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.

²³ 

Her husband is well known at the city gates,

    where he sits with the other civic leaders.

²⁴ 

She makes belted linen garments

    and sashes to sell to the merchants. (v.22-24)

But above all, she's of strong character. She has dignity. She's cheerful, she's brave, and she's full of wisdom. She's industrious and makes herself useful, and doesn't give in to laziness. She's smart, and she looks forward to the future so she won't have to look back with regret.

She is clothed with strength and dignity,
    and she laughs without fear of the future.
When she speaks, her words are wise,
    and she gives instructions with kindness.
 She carefully watches everything in her household
    and suffers nothing from laziness. (v.25-27)

And what is her reward for being a virtuous woman? Her children respect her, and her husband is attentive to her needs. And when her husband is loving her the way he should, she has no reason to be a drippy faucet! When the woman is happy, the whole world smiles.

Her children stand and bless her.

    Her husband praises her: