I love Jesus. And because I love Jesus, I want to share him with the whole wide world. Thanks to modern technology, I can tell people about Him anytime I want. But besides using words on the internet, I can speak about Jesus with others face to face. My actions and attitude are the loudest messages about the Savior and my love for Him, though. If I want to lead others to the Lover of their souls, I have to be a godly wife, mom, and ministry leader. And so do you.
Of course, we can’t do that perfectly, not now, and not ever. But we can make progress toward the mark God set for us. By the power of His Spirit, armed with His Word, you and I can be prudent women who bring God glory.
In this post, we’ll answer the question “What is a prudent woman?” and see what it takes to be this kind of woman who points people to Jesus.
Proverbs 19:14 KJV – House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.
What is a Prudent Woman?
Proverbs 19:14 tells us that a prudent wife is from the Lord. She’s a gift from God himself. What does it mean to be prudent?
Webster’s dictionary defines prudence as:
- the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason
- sagacity or shrewdness in the management of affairs
- skill and good judgment in using resources
- caution or circumspection as to danger or risk
So a woman who displays prudence is disciplined, wise, resourceful, and discreet. She walks circumspectly and prays proactively.
A prudent wife is such a gift to her husband because she has the wherewithal to make tough times more tolerable. She’s the kind of woman who can make a pound of hamburger stretch for six meals, or find unique ways to pinch pennies or generate income when the budget gets tight. She is a faithful steward of her time, talent, and treasures.
A prudent woman is a prosperous woman because she is wise, and wisdom comes from the word of God, which God told Joshua would be the key to his success. (Joshua 1:8) She has insight, intelligence, and can trust her instincts because a prudent woman is a woman of the Word.
What a Prudent Woman is NOT
A prudent woman has a sober mind and peace in the midst of chaos, while an imprudent woman is foolish.
The scriptures characterize foolish women as:
- Contentious and angry. Proverbs 21:19
- Shameful. Proverbs 12:4
- Loud and stubborn. Proverbs 7:11
- Thoughtless. Proverbs 11:22
- Destructive. Proverbs 14:1
Not a blessing!
What dominates our mind dictates our mouth, manners, and ministry because our actions follow our thoughts. Take Martha in Luke 10:38-42 for example. Her mind was on herself and her problems, so she had no discretion when she spoke to Jesus.
She may have thought it was unfair that she was bearing the burden of service to Jesus and His crew while Mary sat around. Maybe she was appalled at her sister’s nerve to sit in on the Master’s teaching, which was completely against the cultural norms at the time.
Whatever she was thinking, Martha’s foolish behavior was directly linked to what was going on in her mind. She wasn’t being sober-minded, so she didn’t respond to chaotic circumstances with prudence.
A Prudent Woman is Sober-Minded
God wants us to be sober-minded women who filter everything through the truth of scripture. Women who are directed by the Spirit of God, instead of driven by our emotions. What is a sober mind?
A sober mind is a sound, disciplined mind, which means that a sober-minded woman is in her right mind. She is in control of her thoughts, which keeps her emotions in check, which produces godly behavior, therefore making her a prudent woman.
An unsober woman:
- Let’s her imagination run wild.
- Makes assumptions.
- Jumps to conclusions.
- Elevates self.
- Fights for her own rights.
- Is prideful.
- Has a “what about me?” mentality.
How to be a sober-minded woman
Without emotions, we’d be robots, so they’re necessary, but we have to be taught how to control them so that they don’t control us. That is one of many reasons we need biblical discipleship in our lives.
In Titus 2 discipleship, the older woman invests spiritual truths in the younger woman and gives them an example of godliness to follow. The most important lesson she imparts is how to be sober-minded because it’s from this sound mind that we can be discreet and wise, love others like Jesus, and serve the Lord faithfully as instructed in Titus chapter 2.
In order to be a sober-minded, prudent woman, you must renew your mind with the word of God and walk in the Spirit. For more on this topic, here are links to some articles I wrote about having a sober mind:
- What Does it Mean to Be Sober?
- The Importance of a Sober Mind in Times of Transition
- 6 Steps to a Sober Mind
- How to be Sober in Stressful Times
- How to Have a Sober Mind Daily
- The Importance of a Sober Mind for Spiritual Stability
- What the Bible Says About Being Sober-Minded
- 16 Scriptures for a Sober Mind
- 4 Examples of Sober-minded Women in the Bible
- 18 Psalms for a Sober Mind in Suffering
- What Does it Mean to Be Sober in the Bible?
A Prudent Woman Gets Healthy
Exasperated and exhausted, Martha exploded. If you know the busyness of marriage, motherhood, mission, and ministry, I’m sure you can relate.
I bet we could all testify to an emotional explosion from time to time. It happens. But it should be the exception to our lives and not the norm.
Emotional explosions are often the result of a mixture of mental overload, spiritual starvation, and physical exhaustion. So if we want to be prudent women who bring God glory in our lives, we must take care of our mental, spiritual, and physical health.
That means taking inventory of our intakes like screen time and the food we’re ingesting. What you consume matters! Mind, body, and soul are all inextricably tied. Being a prudent woman requires nourishing all three.
Jennifer Roland is a Christian Health and Wellness Coach who specializes in that very thing. I encourage you to visit her website and check out her resources. They have been a tremendous blessing to me!
Emotional explosions are often the result of a volatile mixture of mental overload, spiritual starvation, and physical exhaustion. Click To Tweet
A Prudent Woman Spends Time With Jesus
Colossians 2:3 says that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Jesus. In other words, if you want to be a wise woman, you have to spend time with Jesus. He is your source of all things! In Him is life, light, joy, peace, understanding, and every other thing your heart desires and that ministry requires.
The longer you walk with Jesus, learning Him, listening to Him, and following Him, the more like Him you will be. Jesus teaches you as you take the posture of a learner at His feet, soaking up His word. If the desire of your heart is to be a prudent woman, then make sure you delight in the Lord.
Psalm 37:4 KJV ~ Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
A Prudent Woman Worships
If you feel like Martha today, seek the Lord’s face and cultivate a heart of worship.
Worship births gratitude and gets our minds on the One who deserves all of our praise. When our mind is on Him and bringing Him glory is our goal, then we are soft clay in the hands of the Potter, easily molded into prudent women.
Worshipful women are wise, and they win others to Christ. I so want to be that kind of woman, don’t you? Thankfully, God has given us all the tools we need to grow in godliness. We just have to choose to pick them up and put them to practice.
More posts to help you be a prudent woman:
4 Practical Lessons From Anna in the Bible ~ A post I wrote for Rock Solid Faith
Jesus is The Way ~ A post I wrote for One Determined Life
24 Uplifting Bible Verses on Confidence in Christ ~ A post I wrote for Rock Solid Faith
Get a My Jesus Journal to Help You Be a Prudent Woman
Jesus was sober-minded, and the more we learn Him, the more we will be like Him! I designed and published a tool to help Christian women do just that. My Jesus Journal focuses your time in the Word on learning more about the Lord and cultivating a closer relationship with Christ.
Intended to be used alongside your daily Bible reading, My Jesus Journal has space to record the date, the scriptures you read, and lined spaces to write your observations about Jesus you saw in the text. At the bottom of that page is a verse from the KJV Bible about Jesus. The next page is for writing your prayers related to what you discovered in your reading. And there are extra prayer pages in the back.
Beautiful, Portable, And Affordable!
If you are looking for a tool to help you grow in your knowledge of Jesus, build intimacy into your relationship with Him, and deepen your love for the Lord, then My Jesus Journal is just what you need!
Beautifully designed with your spiritual growth in mind, My Jesus Journal is just the right size to fit into your purse, backpack, or diaper bag. You can grow on the go when you use wait times in the Doctor’s office, the carpool line, etc. for Bible study.
Priced at just $8.99, you can purchase one for yourself and a friend, or consider buying one for your entire ministry, to begin a season of seeking Jesus together. It makes an excellent gift for any Christian woman in your life!
ORDER MY JESUS JOURNAL HERE!
Free Devotional in My Resource Library
On my “Resources” page, I added several new tools for spiritual growth. The most recent is the “7 Days to More Peace of Mind” devotional bundle! It includes 7 devotions, scripture lists, quotes, and poems, all on the topic of worry. I’m selling 7 Days to More Peace of Mind as an eBook on Amazon, but I’m offering it to my email subscribers for FREE!
There is also a “How to Study the Bible” handbook in that resource library. It is a 17-page guide with step-by-step instructions, study sheets, study guidelines, and more! If you would like to dig deeper into the Bible for yourself, then this free resource is for you!
I have also included other bible study worksheets, beautiful graphics, printables (like scriptures for a sober mind), bookmarks, and more. To tap into all the goodies, just enter your email address in the “subscribe” section of this page. When you do that, you will get a confirmation email with the password to my Resource Library. Then you will also receive my blog posts in your email inbox as well.
Already subscribed to Daily His Disciple? Just email me and I will send you the link and password!
Pray With Confidence
Prayer helps us to be prudent women. If you would like to grow in your prayer life, then check out Pray with Confidence. It’s a website for helping women overcome prayer obstacles, and I am one of the regular contributors. Here are some links I think will be a blessing to you:
When Your Prayer for Pain Relief Goes Unanswered
3 Short Prayers for Spiritual Stability
19 Bible Verses that Reveal the Will of God
Check out the prayer resources, Bible verses, and tough questions tabs as well. There are many great options for your spiritual growth!
Good stuff: a wealth of good biblical teaching.
Thanks, Brian.