The Proverbs 31 Woman
A Grace Based Approach to Being a Diligent Mother
The Proverbs 31 Woman is a example for our lives, but being Christlike is our goal. She is a woman who many have written about.
Some women embrace the teaching in Proverbs 31:10 onwards - others prefer to forget that this portion of scripture exists.
Don't hit the back button yet...I promise this is a new aspect on this much debated woman.
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines diligence as - “The steady application in business of any kind; constant effort to
accomplish what is undertaken; exertion of body or mind without unnecessary delay or sloth”.
You see, reading about a woman like her can have two effects on a woman, a busy homeschooling mom, who has many balls to juggle.
There are even websites and books which endeavor to make us adopt her personage.
The first effect is the negative effect where you are spurred on by guilt or a feeling of having to “do” to become like her.
I know, I have been in that place before.
So let’s look at this “doing” first. We rise early plan our jobs for the day, get our “servants” busy with their tasks –
be it a washing machine or bread maker. We then cook, clean, teach, train and learn our way through the day. By the end of the day,
we are exhausted, have nothing left for our husbands and wish away the minutes until our children go to bed.
The problem with “doing” is that it does not leave enough space for “being”. I used to think that if I did more of her daily tasks
I would be more like her. I also found myself adopting the definitions of Proverbs 31:10 (excellence, purity, humility etc) because
I had sat through countless sermons around submission, honoring husbands, winning without a word and was taught that I need to do more to be like this.
But in later years God has shown me that we can adopt these principles of a virtuous life in our flesh and live out a fleshly
"spiritualism" without His truth ever touching our hearts and transforming us. What then is the point if we do not allow our hearts to be changed?
The second effect is positive. A woman reads it in light of what season she is in. Many say the
Proverbs 31 Woman was an ideal, or that she did not do all these things in one day, but rather over a lifetime.
So a mom with newborns may not rise before her household, and her lamp may go out early at night. But a mom of teens may be able
to consider a field and buy it. It's all about the season you are in!
Often articles and studies are written about all the things we should do as woman and we read these out of context of where we are as woman.
Remember God is a God of grace and He says in Isaiah 40:11 “He will feed His flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in His arm,
He will carry them in His bosom and will gently lead those that have their young.”
The Proverbs 31 Woman can be a mentor to us all but read this from the Amplified Bible: Prov 31:15 She rises while it is yet night and gets
[spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks. She begins receiving her spiritual food before she tends to her household.
It is this spiritual food that will enable her to achieve her God driven goals for her day. It will be this time with her Lord that
will cause her to be diligent with her husband (He lacks nothing Prov 31:11), to train her children with kindness
(Wisdom and kindness are on her tongue Prov 31:26 ), work in her home (Prov 18 - 19 ) give to the needy (Prov 31:20 ).
So, dear mom with all the balls in the air, start at the foot of your Lord, just like Mary did. From there rise up to
fulfil your job diligently and industriously -
loving your children
and caring for your husbands needs
and caring for your homes, being diligent in all things.
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