proverbs31-woman.com

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

I’ve known very few women in my life who are idle. I’m talking about those who are married with a family to care for. Oh, I’ve met the occasional one who doesn’t seem to do anything but sit in front of the TV with absolute chaos reigning around them, but they’ve been few and far between – perhaps I just don’t mix in the same circles.

Women who have active lives do not ‘eat the bread of idleness’, but rather seem to cram as much as they can into their lives to keep the household running smoothly, to help all family members achieve whatever they’ve set out to do, and then still do what they need to do, whether it’s working in a job of some kind, fulfilling a voluntary role, or something else. Almost every woman I know fits into this mould. Why do we do this? Try to get as much done as possible and leave very little time to ourselves? And what about time for God?

Some might argue that it’s our current social climate but I argue that it is inbuilt, that it is in a woman’s nature – this verse seems to indicate that women have been like this for a long time! And I believe it is a good thing – women watching over their household and keeping busy. But let’s not forget how important it is that we set aside time for our Lord, time to pray to Him, time to talk to Him, and more importantly, time to listen. KMT

proverbs 31:27, proverbs 31 woman, idleness, busy-ness, chaos, household

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

Much of what the Proverbs 31 woman speaks about and gives guidance from, is based on past experience and the company she keeps.

Our whole lives are made up of a combination of a number of things and these two: experience and our environment, are two important aspects of that. The Proverbs 31 Woman keeps company with her God, she seeks His guidance, His wisdom, spends time in His presence, reads His Word and instils it into her heart. This is her ‘environment’ and the company she is keeping. And then the experiences she has in her life is shaped by how much God is in her life and as she goes through life she seeks His support and guidance in dealing with the things of life.

From there, she can speak with wisdom and give faithful instruction to those she has a responsibility for – her children, those entrusted to her care, younger women seeking guidance.

Prayer: Thank you Father that you faithfully guide us and instruct us in the things of life, so that we can share what we’ve learnt to others who also need to know these things. Help us to be the Proverbs 31 women you would have us be so that we can help guide others in your ways. Amen.

Proverbs 31:26, wisdom, faithful instruction, Proverbs 31 woman

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

There is still room today for the modern woman and housewife, to have an assurance of things to come. We hear and see so much doom and gloom around us, and yet, as a Woman of God, we should have an assurance that the days to come will be even better, knowing that our Lord is with us. We are given this promise all throughout the New Testament, and the Old Testament foretold many of the things we read of in the N.T.

There is something about a home that has a Woman of God caring for it, and lovingly caring for her family. She has a quiet dignity about her, a confidence in who she is and what she is about. A confidence that she knows who is in control and this gives her the ability to ‘laugh at the days to come’, even in the face of heartache that abounds around us from time to time.

Prayer: Thank you Father that you provide us with an assurety of your never ending love, and your continual interest in our lives. Please help us to share this same assurety with our families, showing them that they too, can feel confident of the future that You have within Your hands. Amen.

Proverbs 31:25, strength, Proverbs 31 woman

She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

As I’ve mentioned before the Proverbs 31 woman works at home and helps contribute to the family income. How many women want to do that today? Heaps, and yet, because of financial commitments and social pressures, they find it hard to be able to do this. It takes time to set up a business, develop a solid client base and know that regular income is coming in. If you’re in the fortunate position of having funds behind you, or a husband who can support you and the family financially whilst you build up your business, then that is great, but what if that isn’t the case?

Perhaps building up your business part time, on the side, slowly is the answer. As long as the funds are used to help get existing commitments out the way, and not establish new ones.

My eldest daughter is a seamstress. She studied Textiles and Formalwear at college and got her Diploma. She currently works with a Dry Cleaner doing repairs on garments, but makes wedding gowns, bridesmaids gowns and formal gowns on the side at home, slowly but surely building a reputation of a good seamstress. This is her passion and she’s willing to do work that will pay the bills, but isn’t her passion, in order to allow time for the other to gradually develop. Her husband is a qualified bookkeeper and will look after that side of the business for her, once she is ready to work fulltime from home – in and around her family (when that happens). After all, she grew through her teen years watching her mother develop a home-based business and she understands the time and effort put in to make it work.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for gifting us with the ability to work with our hands, to make provision for our families, and to enjoy the work we are doing.  Thank you Father that You provide for us on a daily basis as we work with faith and what you have given us to do.