The Character of a Wise Woman, a 10-Day Plan by Allison DanielsPrøve

A wise woman speaks based on truth and facts.

2 Samuel 20:18b …You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord's inheritance?

Does it strike you how unemotional this woman was? The wise woman doesn't give Joab her opinion on the matter. She only states what was known to be true - this city was the inheritance of the Lord. She doesn't get into a lengthy discourse. She doesn't disguise gossip as fact. She simply presents the truth of who God was to this city and asks Joab if he will destroy what God has blessed.

Friend, don't let your opinion get in the way of what God is trying to do through you. Proclaim the truth of God and allow Him to produce conviction in the hearts of those you touch.

A woman of wisdom understands we can't make people do the right thing, but we can speak the truth in love, letting God do the rest. A wise woman doesn't run from the truth, but she also doesn't break people with it.

A wise woman keeps the focus on honoring God. She chooses words that will encourage the listener to ponder the things of God and allow them to operate from their own free will. She does not speak to manipulate or coerce. Her words point the hearer to the character of God, where they can remember and prayerfully repent.

Reflection: What is the motivation behind your words? What does it feel like to be the recipient of Godly truth and love?