Inspiring Life Lessons From The Proverbs 31 Woman

Mother’s Day is coming up soon, and I thought we could learn more about the women God gave us to guide us on our journey through life. So, I will look at some women God honored in His Word for May. This week, I want to examine the woman in Proverbs 31.

She Knows Her Purpose

In Proverbs 31, we find a woman who knows the beauty of daily purpose, order, and focus—the beauty that can enrich a woman’s personal life, marriage, family, and work relationships. 

What’s especially exciting is that the secrets to her productive and meaningful lifestyle still apply to Christian women today! You, too, can know your priorities- understand your purpose- have a clear daily direction, and enjoy more significant order and simplicity.

Let’s study this woman. As we pay attention to the imagery used to describe this outstanding lady, we should also consider what a treasure this godly woman is. She is, in fact, a woman God chooses to praise. Each verse contains a shining gem of her character.

As you consider these qualities, don’t get discouraged. God has unveiled this treasured woman to admire, inspect, study, emulate, and point others to. Look at this list and choose one that may need more in your life or needs extra attention. Think about them and ask God to show you how to grow in that area.

The Proverbs 31 Woman Is A Teacher

At the beginning of the chapter, we meet what many believe is the woman behind the picture of this ideal woman: the mother of King Lemuel. 

She saw teaching her son about life, leadership, and marriage as a mandate, one of her responsibilities. 

Life is a cycle of being taught and then teaching, mentoring, and modeling life. Don’t fail to take every opportunity to pursue godliness and to learn from older, wiser women. And don’t fail to take every opportunity to teach others, beginning with your children, about God’s standards for life and godly living. 

Allow the woman in Proverbs 31 to teach you the excellent qualities God desires in His women. Let her godliness model for you and mold your heart and life into one of virtue, strength, and beauty.

The Proverbs 31 Woman is Virtuous

As we describe the woman in Proverbs 31, the word “virtuous” or “excellent” is used 200+ times in the Bible. This Old Testament word refers to a force and means “able, capable, mighty, strong, valiant, powerful, efficient, wealthy and worthy.” Its primary meaning involves military strength. 

Just as the two forces of mental toughness and physical energy are primary traits of an army, they also mark God’s Proverbs 31 woman. 

Something to think about: How do you measure up in mental toughness and physical energy? And what improvements can you make? After learning a little about what virtue and excellence mean, why do you think such a woman is rare? Have those who know you found a virtuous, noble, excellent woman?

She Is Faithful

Let’s look at one of her virtues, the treasure of her faithfulness.

In vs. 11, it does not refer to this husband’s affection for his wife but to his confidence in his wife- his complete confidence. The following Proverbs talk about the damage done by a wife with a charter flaw.

        12:4- Decay in his bones

        19:13- quarrelsome, wife=constant dripping

        21:19- live in a desert than with an ill-tempered and quarrelsome wife.

The husbands in these verses can’t say they have “full confidence” in their wives.

        Throughout the Book of Proverbs God advises against trusting in anyone or anything other than Himself. What do the following Proverbs warn against?

        3:5 -Not to lean on own understanding

        16:20 -to heed instruction

        28:26 -is a fool

Now, what do these Proverbs teach us to do instead? What are God’s promises?

        3:5 –Trust Him with all our heart

        16:20 –Blessed

        28:25 –Will Prosper

We usually are to trust in God and not man. However, in this rare exception (Proverbs 31:11), the husband can trust his wife’s faithfulness.

The Proverbs 31 Woman Is a Warrior

Verse 10 hints at the dazzling excellence of this wonderful wife. But in verse 11, God shines His spotlight on her magnificence. We’ve noted that the masculine word for virtuous describes warriors in the Bible. Still, in V.11, the Hebrew language paints a metaphoric picture of this woman as a mighty warrior who utilizes her abilities to benefit her husband’s domain. 

Her commitment to all her mental and physical resources is to her husband’s well-being and reputation. How does she better his life, as shown in Proverbs 31:11? Proverbs 31:12?

He lacks nothing of value/brings him good and not harm all her days

What is his reputation according to V.23?

He is respected at the city gate.

If you are married, can you point to any area of your life or behavior that would cause your husband not to trust you? What changes can you make to be a more faithful wife? 

What have we learned a husband’s greatest asset should be? (V.10). Could the same be said of your contribution to your husband?

She Is A Treasure Greater Than Rubies

We cannot leave this shining treasure of faithfulness without a piercing, penetrating look in the mirror. We must examine our hearts as we pursue the excellence that is to mark us as God’s women. 

Are you and I women of faithfulness? Can others, beginning with those at home- count on us? Can others trust us with information? With work? With responsibility? 

Can others trust us no matter what? Proverbs 25:19 states, “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.” 

Just like this faithful wife in Proverbs 31:11, who was her husband’s wealth and treasure, so are you to all who know you and to whom you serve. Then, dear ones, the priceless gem of faithfulness will make you worth far more than any treasure.

She Is Created In God’s Image

In the beginning, God created. Gen 1:1. The very first words in the Bible describe our great and mighty God as One who created and thus was creative. 

As a bonus, you and I have been “created in His image” (Gen 1:27), which means we possess some of God’s attributes, including creativity. 

Do you realize that each time you create something, you tell everyone, “I am creative because my God is creative, and I have been made in His image”?

As we continue to examine the woman in Proverbs 31, we see her creative and industrious abilities. Let’s explore our imaginative teacher and discover yet another lesson in godliness. 

The Proverbs 31 Woman Uses Her Creativity

She engages in various activities Vs.13, 19, 21, and 22. She selects wool and flax, holds the distaff, and grasps the spindle. Her family is clothed in scarlet, and she makes coverings for her bed. What do all these activities have in common? Creativity! Look at V. 24. What three facts do we learn about her?

                Makes garments

                Sells them

                Supplies merchants

This woman made her “linen” fabric, which had to be made before garments could be made. The “sashes” were like belts or girdles worn to gather the flowing garments of her day. Leather belts were standard, but a linen sash or belt was more attractive and costly, sometimes woven with gold and silver thread and studded with jewels and gold.

        This woman sold, bartered, and traded her fine linen and exquisite sashes. In other words, she had a little industry going. So, what does this indicate about the quality of her goods, the betterment of her family, and an outlet for her creativity?

It is tempting to look at this godly woman and say, “But I don’t have the free time she had!” How else could she accomplish all this? But we know the truth. God’s woman treasured her time and used it wisely and industriously. 

Following Her Example

How are you doing when it comes to putting these two ends of the day to work for you and your loved ones? What do we learn in V.18? 

                Her trading is profitable.

What do you do well and love doing? Think about it and pray about it. Are you faithful to improving your areas of giftedness and increasing your skills? 

What two things could you do to fuel your creative expertise? I know we’re busy, but so was this godly woman. Here, she shows us how to manage our time and lives to pursue our passions without neglecting our work and those at home. 

She used her time, planned and prepared for her activities, followed a schedule, and worked hard. This is a recipe we can follow to the letter. So, let’s take some initiative and get the creative juices flowing!

Her Children Call Her Blessed

How many times has your family thanked you? Being a wife and mother is often a thankless job. No one usually appreciates our hard work, thrift, creativity, and positive outlook on life. 

Many of us go days without a single “thank you” from those we serve, whether at home, church, or work. It might be hard to take for some unless we remember we are not serving man but instead serving the Lord (Col 3:23-24)

But it’s also true that those rare occasions when someone says “thank you” out of the blue or compliments you on your efforts often make all the hard work seem worth it.

Her Husband And Children Honor Her

Let’s look at V. 28. This is the first and only glimpse of the children of the Proverbs 31 woman. What do we see them doing? Rising and call her blessed. The “rising,” however it was done, whether rising and standing or figuratively growing up and going on to live in a way that honored her, these children are paying tribute to their beloved mother.

Who else is paying her tribute? Her husband. What is he saying? He calls her blessed and praises her. What are his words of praise? Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.

The Proverbs 31 Woman’s Roles She Fulfills

        What are some roles we must fulfill as mothers according to Proverbs

                31:15 – providing food for the family

                31:21 – clothing for family

                31:22 – linens for bed and clothing

                31:26 – speaks from wisdom and faithful instruction

                31:27 – cares for the affairs and stays busy

                31:30 – fears the Lord

                *Titus 2:4 – train younger women to love their husbands and children. (More to come in the next post about the Titus two woman!)

        According to these Proverbs verses, what are the roles we have as wives

                31:11 – have husbands’ confidence in us

                31:12 – bring him good, not harm

                31:23 – hubbies respect

                31:25 – strength and dignity

                Ephesians 5:22 – submit to our husbands

                Ephesians 5:33 – respect our hubbies

                *Titus 2:4 – love hubbies (children)

She Will Receive Honor From God

When we major in and fulfill these roles, we shall receive our Lord’s “well done, good and faithful servant” (wife/mom)! Are there any areas where you fall short of God’s assignment as a wife/mother? Pray and ask God to help you honor Him and your family.

The Proverbs 31 Woman’s Beauty Is Found In God

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the fairest of them all?

This is a fairy tale every woman is familiar with. After studying the Proverbs 31 woman and the treasures of this godly woman, we see that she is the fairest of them all. 

So how about us? Yes, we were “fair” at some time, but we must admit that our outward beauty is declining today. Like all temporal things, it was, and there is no more.

But true beauty – hidden beauty, inner beauty, and lasting beauty of the heart spoken of in 1 Peter 3:3-4 can be ours if we focus our lives on the spiritual life instead of physical beauty. Let’s look at one more treasure of a woman who is reverent of soul and fears the Lord.

She Is Aware Of What Is Deceiving 

In the beginning, we say this woman is teaching her young son about the kind of woman to marry. I’m sure she was earnest when she got to this one core quality: reverence for God in a woman’s heart. She warns her young son of two vanities to be aware of. 

Charm is deceptive. Charm is a noun that means the power to delight or attract people. It is fickle and fleeting, and in the end, it is one of life’s illusions, one of life’s vanities. It can never produce happiness or accomplish the work of life. What misuse of charm is described in the following Proverbs?

                5:3 – speech of an adulteress

                7:21 – words seduced

                21:6 – lying words 

Beauty is fleeting. It is a noun that combines qualities that make something pleasing to look at, listen to, touch, smell, or taste. 

Beauty is only skin deep, and it is fleeting as it fades, and does not guarantee a happy life or effectively manage life’s nuts and bolts realities.

What is our only hope for beauty in the following verses?

                Proverbs 31:30 – Fear of the Lord

                2 Cor.4:16 – being renewed day by day

                1 Tim. 2:9-10 – good deeds

                Titus 2:3 – teach what is good

                1 Peter 3:3-4 – gentle and quiet spirit

What virtue, then, does this mother say is truly praiseworthy? Fear of the Lord.

The Proverbs 31 Woman Fears The Lord

The word reverent is an adjective that means feeling or expressing profound respect or awe.

In stark contrast to the temporary and fleeting vanities of charm and good looks is the everlasting beauty of “the fear of the Lord.”

        What insights do the following Proverbs give about the “fear of the Lord”?

                1:7 – beginning of knowledge

                8:13 – hate evil

                9:10 – wisdom/knowledge/humility

                15:33 – teaches wisdom

                22:4 – bring wealth/honor/life

So, according to Proverbs 31:30, it is better for a woman to fear the Lord than to have charm and beauty, and a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Do You Look Like The Proverbs 31 Woman?

        We all should have a heart in pursuit of excellence, but a love and reverence for the Lord begins with a relationship with Jesus. I invite you to establish one today and start living a life of true, internal, Eternal beauty!

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Did you check out last week’s post about Finding Your Unique Gifts, Calling and Purpose?

Resources:

Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman – Elizabeth George. https://elizabethgeorge.com/blogs/devos/becoming-a-proverbs-31-woman

Daughters of Faith – 11. https://www.sluiceboxadventures.com/daughters_faith11.htm