The Proverbs 31:10-31 woman is a model of a woman who lives a godly life. It is practical advice given by a mother to her single son about what to look for in a future wife. Therefore, it is advice for single women as well as married women. I was single for over twenty years of my adult life. Now I am married so I might be able to offer insights for both single and married women.
Most of all, this idyllic icon is a woman who decides to learn and grow in all the areas of her life. She protects her heart from becoming hardened and bitter. The world and its circumstances can easily leave the heart embittered. God can keep the heart soft and full of joy when a woman follows Him.
A virtuous wife is a treasure. Her husband can trust her. He will have all he needs. She makes him look good all the days of her life. She isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She works. She seeks to have a home filled with a variety of foods. She often gets up when it is still dark to begin her day. Food abounds to her household. She is business-minded and invests in things that profit her home. She keeps herself healthy and strong for her everyday tasks. She perceives that her life and home are good. She is content. She speaks with kind and helpful words and seeks to help all the people around her, not just her family. Her household can weather the vicissitudes of the journeys ahead. She dresses with care and even flair. She makes herself attractive for her husband. She helps him be the kind of man that others look up to and respect. She keeps herself busy and clothes herself with dignity. She conducts herself as a child and disciple of God. She rejoices for the future because she does the work of today. She speaks with wisdom and kindness. She guards her household and protects them with prayer. Her children bless her and her husband praises her. They think she is the best of all women. She knows that charm can be deceitful. She is aware that outer beauty slips away along with the years but inner beauty grows with every wrinkle. A lifetime of fruit will be evident when she stands in front of her great God.
Are you feeling overwhelmed yet? When I first read Proverbs 31:10-31, my first thought was, “When does this woman sleep?” She gets up early. She stays up late. Every hour in between is packed full of wonderful good deeds. Then I slowly realized that these qualities come to fruition gradually over a lifetime. They are not a daily to-do list and they don’t happen overnight. No one day will be perfect, nothing worthwhile will come easy, and not everything will go right all the time. With prayer and the Holy Spirit’s help, you can see more and more of these qualities in yourself. They grow as you seek to follow God, not when you follow a to-do list perfectly.
Here are some ways that I have found to help me attempt the Proverbs 31 life:
Source: Crosswalk | Jennifer Heeren, Crosswalk Contributing Writer
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