I recently realised a "blogging error" I've been making for not acknowledging where my pics come from so please forgive me! The above pic comes from: http://thehousefmparty.blogspot.com.au/
The Wife of Noble Character
A spoken word from the mother of King Lemuel
I'm going to spend a bit of time on the above scripture today and I guess give a clearer understanding of what is meant of the "Proverbs 31 wife". I'm sure there are many women who would appreciate this being interpreted into something more relatable for today's society so I'm going to give it ago. Let's start off by breaking down each verse.
10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
- This verse is quite simple really. A noble woman's value is much more than just material things or her outwardly appearance. It's truly about what's on the inside.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
- Self explanatory really. Her husband trusts her and believes full heartedly in her capabilities as a helper.
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
- She is a faithful helpmate who uplifts her husband with her words and actions. She is respectful and helps him to be a better man through Christ, Jesus.
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
- This is where things begin to get interesting because the vast majority of us are no longer sewing garments for our families however, we do clothe our families by finding good deals and doing the legwork to find them.
14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
- Most wives and/or mother's usually do the grocery shopping right? I'm sure there are a few husbands out there doing this or sharing the duties as well however, my focus today is on the women. As women we usually search for affordable deals and healthier options for our families and sometimes that may mean travelling to organic produce markets etc. Even in today's society we are still doing this.
15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.
- I'm personally not a mother as yet but I do provide food for my husband and make sure that there is food prepared for him after he has finished a hard day at work. I am a homemaker, at times finances can be limited and as a helper I do my best to come up with nutritionally balanced meal options with whatever ingredients we have in the house.
As for the mother's out there, you are champions! I've played a motherly role whilst doing a nanny position a couple of years ago where I had to get up much earlier than the child so I could be showered, dressed and ready before he woke up. I then would have to make lunches, organise school bags, sort out breakfast and then wake him up and get him ready for school and then drop him off. This is all before 7:30am. Not to mention the rest of your daily chores such as either going to work or back home to clean, look after the younger children and then prepare dinner all before having to pick up the child/ren from school again. Oh and did I mention pay the bills, take children to appointments and do the grocery shopping as well!?! Mother's have a lot on their plate!
16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
- I would relate this to buying a house. Generally it's a joint decision between the husband and wife however, a lot of times you find that the wife deals with the nitty gritty stuff like, following up the loans, putting in an offer and filling out all the paperwork for settlement etc. In today's society there would be a lot less women being able to just afford a "field" on her own savings however, I'm sure if we could, we would!
17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
- Pretty self explanatory. Women whether they are homemaker's (with or without children), paid workers or both are always working vigorously to meet the needs of their loved ones.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
- Her "trading" could be either the paid worker who helps provide an income to the family salary and/or the homemaker who is vigorously working in the home completing the many chores. In regards to the "lamp", bills are being paid in a timely fashion.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
- Again this is like verse 13. Majority of people aren't doing too much sewing unless it's their hobby or they happen to be really talented at it and have started a side business. Majority of today's society, especially in Western society buy their clothes from affordable outlet stores or online.
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
- Most people would do their best to help out the less fortunate if they could. I won't say all because there are many people male and female out there that turn a blind eye to those in need but a Proverbs 31 wife see's those in need as an opportunity to serve The Lord. Some people don't have much time t0 spare however, they can provide financial assistance and other's cannot afford to provide the finances but can definitely volunteer their time.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
- This one can be tough simply because everyone economic standards are different and some people are really struggling to keep a roof over their families heads and on the other side of the spectrum there are people being able to give their families anything and everything they ever need. I think it's important to note that a Proverbs 31 wife would aim to have her family dressed in warm clothes and in a warm household but even if she couldn't provide those things due to circumstances, I can guarantee she would give her own warm clothes off her back to keep her children warm if she had too. The one thing to take note on is that a Proverbs 31 wife shouldn't fear because she knows that God will provide if she puts her full faith in him.
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
- Some women may sew bed linen and/or clothes but the majority of us will be sure to buy those things so our families are warm at night.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
- This one could relate to your husband being respected in the general community and/or at church and through his strong, faith centred foundation he has become a respectable member of society.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
- Maybe you have a side business you run from home, baking, making things that you can sell and you help provide an income or maybe you work a part time job. This obviously isn't for everyone in today's society and I think we need to remember that we play a unique part in the "whole" body of Christ so sewing or making things may not be your God given talent. We cannot have everyone completing the same tasks in life otherwise there would be parts missing.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
- Let me tell you, women are STRONG! We are put through a lot in life and we still continue to bounce back with our heads held high, especially Christian women. We may come across as timid, or taking direction from our husband but boy do you have it all wrong! We are the helpmate, we are what keeps this ship afloat. If it weren't for women, men would be lonely and things would fall apart. (That's not to say men are weak or can't do things, NO!) God saw that Adam was lonely in the garden of Eden and needed a helper. If God could see the important role we would play then I think it's important to acknowledge what God saw within us before we were even created. We can laugh even during some of the toughest times of our lives and that ALL Christians because this is only our temporary home, we are waiting to return to where we belong. This world is fallen, expect fallen things to happen but hold your head high knowing that you are a precious child of God!
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
- You ever noticed that women just seem to have that "natural" intuition? Well, I have and I know it's that because we are generally more the emotional being, we seem to be more in touch with our senses and more in touch with The Holy Spirit who dwells in us. I can't tell you how many times The Holy Spirit has warned me of dangers in my marriage before me even knowing about it. That nagging feeling on your heart, it is there for a reason. It is Gods way of showing us what we are facing and if we acknowledge it correctly in prayer he will direct us in how we can approach the situation. The important thing to remember is, it's all about the approach. Whether The Holy Spirit is warning you of a bad financial situation, a friendship, illness or even a marriage issue please pray on it and ask for guidance. When we don't we can come across as nagging mother's to our spouses and that is not what God intended. You have to be wise in all things you do. It's important to stay in the word of God, keeping the word on your tongue and in your heart. It will help with the times of trials. The more we learn from the word the wiser we will become.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
- This relates to number 25. Women are strong and we can be an amazing helper if we follow God's pattern for our lives. It's a woman's role to not only support her husband in his decision making, to support his many dreams but it's also our job to watch over the affairs of our households. As husband and wife, brother's and sister's in Christ it is ALL our jobs to keep one another accountable. Nowhere in the bible does it say that a woman should just allow her husband to rule over her, we are equals to our husbands it's just that our husbands have a lot more responsibility on their shoulders. They have to answer to God if they lead their families astray, that is their responsibility, not ours. However, we are to definitely in a loving manner show them the errors of their ways and vice versa. It's no walk in the park ladies and gentlemen. Not eating bread from idles can be many things in todays society such as not getting involved in things that don't glorify our God as an over all perspective.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
- Isn't this just a beautiful picture!?! Oh, I could just live in this blessed bubble all the days of my life.... haha. Okay back to reality we go. Yes, there will be moments in our lives where our children for those of you who are mothers will acknowledge you with love and affection. Big open armed hugs running towards you, telling you that "you're the best mummy/mommy in the world!" There will be those beautiful moments when your husband acknowledges your hard efforts and tells you, "You are the most beautiful woman in the world, I love you dearly" and your heart will melt. However, there will be the times when you're butting heads with your spouse and your children seem like absolute crazy little people who seem to despise you..... at least this is what I hear... Welcome to the real world people!! Let me tell you these are all normal because we live in a fallen world with fallen people who are selfish and self absorbed and yet somehow we have to come together and make this caos work. Only through Christ Jesus who gives us strength!
29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”
- Look, we all like to believe this is so and maybe just maybe this is how our husbands view us.... Husbands if you don't you better start believing it because God has blessed you with an amazing woman. She is your treasure. If you treat her as such you will reap the benefits. You reap what you sow. Anyway ladies, we need to remember the importance of amplifying our God, not ourselves. The word "humble" comes to mind. We are all equals in this world, all given many God given talents to use to help one another, not to "outdo" each other.
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
- I think that this verse is one of my favourites. One thing we have to realise is that the world we live in is setup to make us all fail. It's setup to cause women of all ages to have a self image problem. Beauty is fleeting. We are all going to get old throughout the days of our lives and if we continue to put our focus on our outward beauty we are going to become very distraught as time goes by. That is why it's important for us to clearly understand that our identity is in Christ, not in the latest fashion, what size clothing you wear, whether your hair is kept a certain way, whether you caking on a gag load of makeup or whether you keeping up with the latest fashion. As Christians, we should know better than to be so caught up in all these earthly things. Now, I'm not saying be a dag because the bible does talk about keeping yourself neat and tidy but there is WAY too much emphasis in the church these days on keeping up with latest trends. I see it all the time. I think it's time we start to put things in perspective a little more, truly accept our shortcomings, look to God for wise counsel on these matters especially what is acceptable to wear in public. You see it's our job as Christians to set the example not only for our younger brothers and sisters in Christ but also for the nonbelievers. What kind of message are you sending out to the world? Are you saying, I'm secure in who I am and that I don't need to be acknowledged based on my looks and what I wear because I know my worth in Christ OR are you saying I'm just as insecure as you nonbelievers, I fill the emptiness with your cheap compliments that hold me over only for a minute? Are you glorifying your God or are you glorifying your insecurities which we know only come from the enemy and are worldly things. Something to think about right?
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."
- I spoke on this in number 29 in regards to a husbands acknowledgement for all her hard efforts. I think it's also important as women to remember to not "go fishing" for compliments either. That comes from an insecurity issue as well and trying to get that ego boost or for someone to see your hard efforts. It's important to remember that we are doing the duty God set out for us and that we are to glorify God through our works and be happy that we did it for him, not for anyone else. If your husband notices well, bonus but don't let it be the focal point.
Phew! That was a lot to run down on. I think ultimately we have to realise that the Proverbs 31 woman if she lived today would be a "superwoman" beyond recognition and that it doesn't really give a realistic view on people as a whole. The other thing to remember is that this specific scripture was more so intended for the view of what Christ is to the Church. So if we are to all play our God given, individual talents, each having a part in the total body of Christ then it would look something like the above scripture. We would all be working together to glorify our God as a team, bringing more people to Christ. Either way, remember you are GREAT! You are beautifully and wonderfully made! We all have areas of growth that God will work on with us over time. This life is a journey, not a final destination. Our final destination is back in the arms of our loving daddy in heaven where the worries of this world will just slip away!
God Bless You!
A work in Progress!
