Wise vs. Wild Contrast #4: Attitude
Attitude
Her prevailing dispositionGirl-Gone-Wild: Clamorous and Defiant
Girl-Gone-Wise: Gentle, Calm & Amenable
Girl-Gone-Wild: “She is loud and wayward. . .” Proverbs 7:11
Girl-Gone-Wise: Her heart reflects the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 1 Peter 3:4*
“She is loud and wayward,” is how the sage father pegs the Proverbs 7 woman. The phrase definitely describes her behavior, but more than that, it sums up her prevailing state of mind. She’s a sassy, defiant, my-way-or-highway kind of a girl. Nowadays, the father might have described her by saying, “She’s got attitude!”
The Hebrew word translated “loud” means to murmur, growl, roar, or be tumultuous or clamorous. The description applies to an untamable beast that refuses to bear the yoke. “Like a stubborn heifer” is how the Hosea describes this mindset. (4:16) I think it’s apt that Helen Reddy used the phrase “I am woman hear me roar!” in the lyrics of her song, because that’s exactly what Girls-Gone-Wild do. They roar. And it’s not so much the volume of their voices, although it definitely can include that. It’s their insolence. Synonyms for this clamorous type of attitude are sassy, brassy, cheeky, cocky, flippant, mouthy, saucy, smart-alecky, barefaced, brash, or pushy. It’s an attitude that we promote, and even admire. “Girl, you’ve got attitude!” is more of compliment than insult.
The second adjective describing the Proverbs seven woman is translated wayward. The Hebrew word means, “to be stubborn and rebellious.” It reflects a defiant, self-willed, obstinate, “nobody tells me what to do” frame of mind. According to the Bible, an attitude of stubbornness towards people often reflects an underlying attitude of stubbornness toward the Lord. (Ezekiel 20:38) Ours is a “stubborn and rebellious generation,” whose heart is not steadfast, whose spirit is not faithful to God. (Psalm 78:8)
A Girl-Gone-Wild is stubborn. She gets aggravated and sullen when someone tries to correct or rebuff her. (1 Kings 21:4-5) She is not willing to give in or change. She turns a stubborn shoulder (Nehemiah 9:29), plugs her ears (Zechariah 7:11), turns aside and goes her own way (Jeremiah 5:23-26). A woman like this “sticks to her guns.” She will not budge. Her way is right in her own eyes. She is not open to input. (Proverbs 12:15) One theologian uses the word “unmanageable” to describe a woman with this type of attitude. Another suggests “ungovernable.” The bottom line is that this type of woman refuses to be led-especially by a man! No one has the right to tell her what to do!
Clamoring (loudness) and defiance (waywardness) go hand in hand. Clamoring loudly insists, “You better do it my way” and defiance reinforces the idea with, “I refuse to do it yours.” They are like two sides of the same coin. Our culture teaches us that women should have a clamorous-defiant attitude. Popular culture extols it as a virtue. Oh, it often dresses it up nicely and calls it something that makes it sound a bit more respectable-like self-confidence, assertiveness, or personal empowerment-but it really boils down to the same thing: the sassy, rebellious attitude of a Girl-Gone-Wild.
“Ms. Stupidity” is what the Bible calls a girl with attitude. I’m not kidding. That’s equivalent to what the Bible actually calls her! “The woman Folly [Lady Folly] is rowdy [loud]; she is gullible and knows nothing.” (Proverbs 9:13 hscb)
Folly is empty-headedness, craziness, absurdity, stupidity. Proverbs links foolishness with a brash, rebellious demeanor. It specifically warns women against adopting this mindset. The Bible is very clear that embracing a sassy, defiant attitude isn’t liberating and wonderful, as the world would have us believe. It’s downright stupid. “Claiming to be wise, they became fools . . .” (Romans 1:22)
Check out your attitude – is it clamorous and defiant? Are you a foolish Girl-Gone-Wild? Or are you cultivating the gentle, calm, amenable spirit of a Girl-Gone-Wise?
© Mary A. Kassian
This is a pre-publication excerpt from “Girls Gone Wise in a World gone Wild,” © Mary A. Kassian to be published by Moody Publishers in 2010. All rights reserved. You are welcome to link to this post, but please do not copy and/or reproduce this copyrighted material without express written permission of Moody Publishing.
[...] Again, not unrelated to the prior link. [...]
Great post and a good reminder! Thank you! How I desire to be a gentle and meek woman radiating Christ in all I say and do!
[...] vs. Wild Contrast #1: Heart Wise vs. Wild Contrast #2: Counsel Wise vs. Wild Contrast #3: Approach Wise vs. Wild Contrast #4: Attitude Wise vs. Wild Contrast #5: Habits Wise vs. Wild Contrast #6: Focus Wise vs. Wild Contrast #7: [...]