An Ideal..."The Proverbs 31 Woman"
There are many reasons I have avoided writing about "The Proverbs 31 woman" thus far. One reason is because she is a bit of a cliché in Christian circles, another is because she wasn't an actual woman but an illustration of how a woman can be but gosh, there are so many reasons to write about her. Oh, let us count the ways!
1. She is goals. She is "clothed in strength and dignity"... This ideal woman is strong and dignified. Verse 25 is a great description of the woman of "noble character" as this woman is also known. Clearly, the Bible endorses a woman being strong. After all, it takes a strong woman to excel in her own life. I love that she is described as doing so much! There is a summary below but just s-low-ly, really slowly read Proverbs 31:10-31. This woman was doing the most, in the best possible way.
AND YET, she was dignified. What would that look like today? Let’s make this relevant... Dignity is defined as being calm, controlled, worthy of respect. The issue of respect can be quite subjective however, this woman was dignified. Not only was she worthy of respect so was her husband by the way (vs. 23). I see a role model for carrying ourselves in a way that demonstrates that we are God loving (vs. 30), that we plan ahead not just living for the moment (vs. 21), that we are good with money (vs. 16), that her relationship with her husband is important to her (vs. 11 & 12), she takes care of her children and her home in general (vs. 15, 21 & 22), has businesses and there’s more…
2. Multi-tasking queen. The fact file below doesn't do her justice. It’s a summary of her occupations and above, the “goals” listed are examples of how many things she also does. It’s no wonder she’s respected. We also see that she is engaged in other activities;
She works a lot with her hands,
Brings food from afar and shares it amongst her household,
Buys land and develops it,
She trades,
She’s charitable…
In fact in verse 29 there’s a declaration that she surpasses women who do “excellently” – an opinion warranting her fame as a role model for Christian Women.
3. Superwoman of the Bible. She does extraordinary things. At the time Proverbs was being written, women were very oppressed. Society didn’t recognise them – to the extent that women weren’t even counted in the census. It’s almost unimaginable now [thankfully]. This is one reason that can also account for how few women are recorded in scripture. Especially in detailed accounts.
This is said to emphasize how the illustration of “The Proverbs 31 Woman” is one that many Christian women have found inspirational for generations. And it is with good reason in my opinion. She balances family, work and other interests.
Why superwoman? She was ahead of her time. Even as an illustration! She had a family and businesses and is also called wise and Godly. She was ahead of her time also because she worked in and out of the home! A woman to inspire women then and now.
FACT FILE:
Name - Unknown, alias "Proverbs 31 Woman"
Occupation - Wife, mother, knitter, philanthropist, land owner, business owner, farmer and more.
Reference - Proverbs chapter 31 verses 10 - 31
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. – Proverbs 31:30
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