Proverbs 31: 26 - 27

    

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; 

and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, 

and eateth not the bread of idleness.

Verse 26 seems to me to warn about 'idle talk'.  But to leave the analysis there would be to leave out far too much meaning.  Gossip is an obvious target.  If a subject or bit of information is bothersome enough to pass along to friends and acquaintances, it also needs to be brought up in our prayers.  In even more intimate communications, wisdom and kindness in our words are even more important.

Who better than our husbands, children, families and ourselves with whom to share our well - considered, kind words? No couple, no family is 100% happy 100% of the time, not this side of heaven anyway.  Words spoken in the heat of anger cannot be retracted.  Feelings take time to heal.  Wouldn't it be better to think before we speak?  There's a lot of wisdom in the theory of 'counting to 10' before you open your mouth.  While your active mind is counting, you subconscious mind-librarian is searching furiously for the right words to say.

I'm going to have to watch my own-self talk after being soundly convicted by verse 27.  Part of me wants to cry when I think of the hours (ok-days) I've wasted playing games online and spending time on pursuits of little eternal worth.  A little entertainment is enjoyable and arguably necessary ... but it is not life.

Traditionally, a married woman would be judged on the state of her household, at least in terms of organization and cleanliness.  This is not to say that individual women can or even should be responsible for each little chore that needs to be done to keep a home running smoothly.  For the first 10-12 years of my marriage, I was the one that went out, worked and brought home a paycheck.  It might not have been ideal, it might not have always been what I wanted, but that was the way it was...and it wasn't all bad, either.

In a case like that, or if there is a single-parent family, some of the household management chores of necessity fall on the other members of family.  And it is a good thing if children take on duties as well.  This will teach them order, time management and give them a sense of 'ownership' of their living area.  This process is part of "looking well to the ways of the household".

The best thing I've got going for me in this (and any) area is the love of God.  He loves all women, regardless of whether or not our pictures are ever pinned to the "Top 10 Proverbs 31 Women Ever" board.  But if our goal is to move in that direction, He is there to help us every step of the way.  We just have to ask.