The Wife of Noble Character

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes." - Proverbs 31:10-24

I love Proverbs 31. It is full of outdated activities and it tends to make the modern woman a little prickly. A little trivia, it is actually an acrostic poem, where each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. I feel that because of the language used, it doesn't have much attention paid to it, or that women tend to disregard it as archaic. I completely disagree, and feel that it can easily apply to women today.

At first glance, the woman of the beginning section of Proverbs 31 is That Woman. The one who is always on time, pressed and dressed, with a smile on her face and a kind word on her tongue. The one who you see and say, "I wonder how she does it?" But there is more to Proverbs 31 than to give us a standard to live up to, or to make us feel less than satisfied with how we perform as wives and mothers.

The beginning verses describe a woman who is confident and self sufficient. She is prudent with her resources and busy keeping her home running smoothly. She is charitable and giving, and she maintains her home so that when storms come in, she is not caught unprepared. She dresses in the nicest clothing that she has, and her husband is proud of her. She contributes to her family's income by using her talents in a way that brings honor to her home.

How is this any different from any of us? We are all busy mothers, we prepare for life's storms, we dress ourselves with the intention of feeling comfortable and confident. We give time and money to those who are needy, and our husbands are proud of us.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."" - Proverbs 31:25-29

This is my favorite section. It describes the character of the woman I would like to be when I grow up. Some of you are already there, you are already wise. You women who I look up to, you see the beauty and the humor of the mundane. You are comfortable in your skin and you speak your minds, guiding your family with strength. You are in the groove, enjoying your life. Your children see that the amazing woman who raised them is a blessing to them and to others, not just their maid, or their taxi driver. And your husband knows what a lucky man he is to have you!

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."- Proverbs 31:30-31

And this last section brings us crashing back to reality. No matter how charming or how beautiful we are, or how talented and hardworking we are, from our relationship with God, that is where we will receive our reward. Let us not lose sight of that, and let us not get caught up in "keeping up with Mrs. Jones."

Dear God, we thank You for providing us with the tools to be strong women, wives and mothers. We ask for your guidance, please introduce women into our lives who will influence us positively, and help us be positive role models to others. In Your Name we pray, amen.