Sunday, August 29, 2010

The Proverbs 31 Woman......Is it possible?

We've all read about her, joked about her, dreamed of being her, but really who can do it? I'm all about providing for my family, and loving my husband, but this gal's light doesn't go out at night! Who is she?

She is a continually evolving woman just like you. She is you.... Our Father didn't give us the Bible and say, swallow it down today and live it all out today. Nope, He who reveals Himself to you, will enable you to be this wife, mother, woman day by day!

So let's just say if you are married then each morning you have the opportunity to be a virtuous wife. You fling back those covers, stand up and there you are in all your glory a virtuous wife! You may stumble into to where ever you go first and smile because you woke up to another day!

If you have a baby, you may have already done this several times in the past few hours, but now it's over and a new day has begun! Your husband's heart does safely trust you, because you will guard him and protect his honor! As his bride, you will do anything you can to further his career and reach his goals!

If that first part wasn't hard, then you are ready to graduate to the next step....verse 12 "She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." I'm so thankful that the Lord allows us a few "do-overs", because on many occasion my mouth has not done my sweetie good! I'm so thankful that there is forgiveness on both the part of the Lord and my husband! This is where the "gentle answer turns away wrath part comes in"!

Now that you have loved and been kind the real work begins, you've got to figure out where in the world wool and flax are going to be, so that you can work them with your hands! Well in the North Texas vicinity there is a fresh shortage on flax. I think I could figure out where to get some wool, but not sure about that flax unless we're talking the kind we occasionally put in smoothies!

For me, my wool and flax are making things last longer around her. Passing down clothing to the next child. Making several meals out of one piece of meat. Spending time wisely. Those are the ways that I look for flax and wool.

While you are out looking for flax, let's multi-task and bring some food from afar. This certainly doesn't jive with the "green-living" folks. The new mantra is to buy local. So to compromise, lets bring in the best meals for our family that we can. Lets make them as healthy as possible and stir in lots of love in the process!

Now here comes the sleep deprivation part. Verse 15 "She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants." First off, for all you mothers with babies, you are rising while it is still night and providing food for your household! If I had a maid servant, I promise you I would do back flips in the night for her! I would make sure she had anything she wanted if she was going to do my laundry and keep that demon from biting me everyday!

I think the applicable part here is that we make sure we have time to do all that is necessary to keep our homes running smoothly. We make sure that our families have what they need to start their days in a peaceful manner.

Next, if you enjoy getting on realtor.com and looking at the homes and land, guess what....you can't count that part as considering a field and buying it! However, you can consider how you can either stretch your husband's income and or extend it! We can profit from using coupons when we have them, and then using the savings to buy groceries! It takes actual study to learn how to save and spend wisely.

In verse 17 this woman is girding herself with strength and getting strong arms! Why strong arms? Because the tasks that the Lord has assigned us aren't easy! They take much more than those butterfly presses at the work-out club! Yes my sister, this is the strength of character to occasionally walk a lonely walk with an upbeat pace while holding a baby on your hip and struggling through the latest challenge of life! Those are the arms that don't sag!

So much of the way we see our lives is from our view of perception. Perception can make or break us! If our attitude towards what God has provided is good, then life is good. If we spend time complaining about how bad things are...well then things will be that bad! But each day we can perceive that our merchandise is good even if it's meager!

Our lamps can be on in a moment if we are needed. We just need to be available to any need that the Lord would have us to minister. We also can continue to give to others who have needs that we can meet. Lets not only reach out our hands to the needy, lets embrace them! Let's offer them all the love that our Father in heaven has extended so freely to us! Don't try to mold them into some idea of what you think people ought to be, just love them and trust the Holy Spirit to speak to their hearts just like He speaks to yours!

When we love others, there is no fear in tomorrow. The snows will come, but we will continue to clothe our families with the teachings of Jesus. Our children will know that the scarlet blood of Jesus covers their tattered rags! As we persevere in these things, honor and glory do cover us, because it is the will of Jesus!

Orderly, peaceful homes bring recognition to our husbands! These men are able to do all that God has called them to, because they can! They aren't torn away from work for one crisis after another! They are able to serve at church and in the community if that is what they desire. They are known for their wisdom, because you were there for them, when they needed you!

We can all glean so much from this woman. The state of her family truly does rest on her strong shoulders. She can rejoice because she knows there are days coming that don't require cleaning up the mess of a toddler, settling the disputes of brothers and comforting the adjusting heart of an adolescent all in a span of five minutes! This gutsy gal makes sure her words are seasoned with kindness while making the most out of every moment!

So virtuous woman, rejoice! You who watch over the ways of your household and diet from idleness, your children will rise up and call you blessed. Your sweet man will as well!

I'm sure that this is not an exhaustive explanation of Proverbs 31, but it's a start. I would love to be this woman 24/7, but lets dig in and see how God can change our hearts and minds to be the women He created us to be!

Hilltop Blessings,
Sheri

3 comments:

  1. Sheri, you have truly been blessed with the ability to write thought provoking words. I always enjoy reading your posts especially since they are entertaining, thoughtful, and inspirational. God Bless! Hugs........

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  2. Blessings!
    An enlightening post:) Thank you for your insight.

    As I always tell women who ask me about how to be a Proverbs 31 woman...this was actually a prayer! A mother asks for the perfect woman for her son. What mother wouldn't? :D To strive to be her is a good thing but to accept that we cannot possibly fit the bill completely, helps us to understand that we do have our limitations but the heart to work at it:)

    God bless the wives who strive to be the woman God created her to be:)

    God be with thee!
    Sister Lori

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