Proverbs 31:31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
This verse shows that the Proverbs 31 woman bears fruit for all she has done. She has virtue, she is faithful, she is a loving and caring mother and wife who provides for her family all that is necessary, she is a good manager, is a good worker and is industrious, she is wise in business, kind in nature, looks out for those who are needy, she is praiseworthy, excels at what she does and fears the Lord. A tall order for us all to aim for, and yet if we aim for nothing we will get just that - nothing! I can’t profess to be a Proverbs 31 Woman - at least not in entirety, but that is my aim.
Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty if fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
There are few things which last longer than life itself, but our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ does, along with God and the Holy Spirit. We can show so much charm, we can hide our facade of who we really are for only so long, but eventually weaknesses show through, the cover or armour gets chipped, corners get broken. The beauty we have with youth matures and changes with age - some for the better as they get older, and others look rather weathered and worse off.
If a man chooses to marry a woman based simply on her charm and her good looks, he stands to be disappointed some time later - sometimes much sooner than later. I believe that’s why marrying in haste can be disastrous. And if one marries purely for the sake of passion and lust, it will not be long-lasting. Many get married mistaking these feelings for love. It takes time to get to know the real person underneath, and to understand how that person is made up. But, if the woman is someone who fears and loves the Lord with all her heart, then the man who is set on marrying her stands to benefit from a jewel in his life - someone who is worth far more than rubies, as verse 10 in this book tells us. The beauty within goes far deeper than skin, looks and charm, and the heart of this woman is something to be valued and respected, and fully appreciated. More than that, the man can trust and know that she hears from the Lord and will respect and love her husband as God intended.
Blessed is the man who seeks and marries a woman who understands Proverbs 31 and who seeks to be the best she can be.
Proverbs 31:29 Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all
In some bible versions it says ‘daughters’ rather than women and talks of ‘excellence’ rather than being ‘noble’. Who is it that has surpassed them all? And what is it that she’s done so excellently?
I believe that it is referring in entirety to the Proverbs 31 woman and how she has carried herself, and her role as mother, wife, woman in an excellent and noble manner, that she has surpassed all others in the way she carries herself.
Such a high ideal for us all to meet, but certainly one worth aiming for. Have you noticed how if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it? Then so must we hit something if we aim at something - even if it isn’t the bullseye.
If your life’s goal is to be a Proverbs 31 woman, to provide for your family through your gifts, abilities, resources at hand, etc, then your family will certainly benefit and you can be sure of receiving a message of ‘well done, good and faithful servant’ when your time is done here on earth. For what better cause is there than to bring up children to be God-fearing adults and to care for and support a hard-working husband, being in total partnership with him? Eve was created to be a help-mate to her husband, Adam, and so it is with us today. Men and women, partners in the household and family, each carrying out their particular roles for the benefit of each member of the family. Perhaps there is some merit in that phrase ‘behind every successful man is a woman’ - particularly if she is a Proverbs 31 woman.
Proverbs 31:28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
Blessed is the woman whose children appreciate her. Little kids do but as the children grow older, they often tend to take mom for granted. It’s not until they, themselves, become parents that they begin to appreciate all that mom did for them. And if mom is truly blessed, they’ll let her know just how much they appreciate her for all she’s done. On occasion it might even happen before a child becomes a parent themselves.
I brought one daughter up and it’s not been without its challenges. I have had moments when she has made it known how much she appreciate something that I have done for her. But there have been times when no appreciation has been shown and that’s when my husband had been a real blessing - letting me know that he understood and appreciated all I had done for my girl, as she was growing up. I know that as my daughter becomes a mother, a new relationship between them and me will develop and I’ll have opportunity to mentor and teach younger women, just as we’re taught in Titus 2:4.
Proverbs 31:28, blessed, Titus 2:4, appreciation
Proverbs 31:27 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.
proverbs 31:27, proverbs 31 woman, idleness, busy-ness, chaos, household