Are You a Proverbs 31 Woman?

God gives us grace and mercy to be secure in His callings.

Click here to listen to this devotional narrated by Kathleen Knapp.

What women inspire you? My mother inspires me. She was an excellent example of loving kindness. Although raised in difficult circumstances, she always maintained a positive outlook. We teased her that she wore rose-colored glasses to see the world.

My mother came to her faith in Jesus long before the rest of our family did, but she prayed, hoped, and believed that someday we would all become believers, too. She clung to the promise in the bible: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31, ESV). Within a few years, God answered her prayers.  Years later, when I became a mother, I found her example even more relevant as I raised my children.

Scripture shows us an example of a Godly woman, which should inspire us. Proverbs 31:10-31 lists many attributes we should aspire to, and Christian women often hold up the Proverbs 31 woman as an example to emulate. However, this woman’s accomplishments and talents are overwhelming, leading us to believe we could never measure up to this high standard of success.

Let’s examine the woman’s character in Proverbs 31. As an astute businesswoman, she buys and sells in the marketplace (verses 14, 16, and 24). Her talents and creativity include sewing, cooking, and bargaining (verses 19, 24, and 27). She takes exemplary care of her husband, children, servants, and their household (verses 12, 13, 15, 21, and 27), and she is wise, kind, generous to the poor, and hard working from dusk to dawn (verses 18, 20, 21, 26, and 27). Whew! I am exhausted just reading it! Nobody could realistically attain that.

Understanding that the Proverbs 31 woman is a composite of women’s capabilities, depending on God’s purpose for us, comforts me. We are all gifted, some with the talents listed in this proverb. Some of us take care of our families and those less fortunate. Others are businesswomen who provide for their families and communities. But no one accomplishes everything listed here.

As a young wife and new Christian, I believed my worth hinged on fulfilling everything on the list. I felt guilty if I didn’t perform to the high standards I thought I needed for God, my husband, and my children to love me.

I am grateful God doesn’t require us to be all those things. He doesn’t want us to live in guilt and shame, either. God gives us grace and mercy to be secure in His callings. However, He asks us to follow His guidance as we put Him first.

“A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30). I pray that I might follow the direction the Lord puts in my path, using the gifts and talents He has given me to help others draw closer to Him. I’ll never embody every trait described in Proverbs 31, but I will seek the tasks in this chapter that apply to me and do them well for His glory.

My mother has been gone for eight years after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. I lost her bit by bit over those years, but even during her illness, she still inspired me. She remained positive and loving until she could no longer speak, laugh, sing, or recognize me. But her memory lives on in the lives of her children and grandchildren. “Her children will rise up and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28a, ESV). She was a Godly example of the Proverbs 31 woman, and I pray to pass on her legacy and example to my children.

What about you? Do you see yourself as a Proverbs 31 Woman? Share your unique strengths with us in the comments below.

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