A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman–who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. [Prov. 12:4; 18:22; 19:14.] The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil. She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her. (Proverbs 31:10-12 AMP)
The "Proverbs 31 Woman" (proverbs 31:10-31) was written as an acrostic poem to give spiritual and practical understanding of what it means to be a woman/wife of noble character. While we may not all be married, there are still important virtues to glean from this first section.
First, it's apparent that not every woman is one of "noble character." She obviously has to be searched out. The Amplified Bible describes her as "capable, intelligent, and virtuous." Virtuous and noble are synonymous, but what do these words really mean? If you check out Merriam-Webster, you'll find that essentially these mean “of high moral character” or “chaste” [basically not having a sexual nature, or abstaining from such]. Seeing as how God placed Song of Solomon in the Bible, and if you study Paul's teachings, I am quite certain chaste was not the meaning intended concerning a man searching out a virtuous woman to be his wife.
A second thing is quite clear: when you are a virtuous woman, you are
incredibly valuable. We are able to be
trusted completely. Trust is priceless. If you are able to explicitly trust someone,
you are able to enjoy an immense peace. Let’s
ask ourselves some difficult questions.
- Can you be trusted to be fully honest, yet loving in your honesty....even in the toughest situations?
- Can you be trusted to always to look out for the best for your loved ones? What if the best for them means a more difficult journey for you?
- Can you be trusted to not only react well & celebrate in the good times, but to respond appropriately and lovingly when difficult situations arise?
Our third focus based on this passage is to be a “builder of
the good” within our household. In order
to be a builder of the good, we can’t be a “destroyer with the negative.” Are we seeking to criticize or belittle those
around us? We can’t be a builder if our
favorite tool is a wrecking ball.
Our lovely Proverbs 31 woman “comforts, encourages, and does
him only good as long as there is life within her.” Certainly this can feel like a tall
order. Does him ONLY good? That really doesn’t feel like it allows much
room for error. Young’s Literal Translation
says it this way:
“She hath done him good, and not evil, all days of her life.” (v.12)
I don’t believe that this verse is calling for
perfection. That would quite frankly be
a tall order we are each unable to fulfill.
However, when we look at Young’s translation we see that it comes down
to a good ‘ole good versus evil scenario.
This begins to uncover more of a heart issue rather than mere
action. Are we acting out of a resentful
or angry heart? Or are we acting out of
a heart filled with grace, love, and expectancy?
Practically speaking, whether you are currently married, engaged,
dating, or single, this is an important foundation to build.
- What if we each sought to become a woman who held to a high moral standard, was completely trustworthy in ALL our ways, and acted to be a “builder of the good” within our sphere of influence?
- What would our relationships look like? How would that influence others within our circle? What about your children or the young people that are watching on a regular basis?
- What if we focused on our relationship with Christ in the same way as described in these 3 verses?
Which of these concepts is most difficult for you at this
season in your life? Make note of that
in your prayer journal/notebook, and ask God to reveal the steps you should
take to be shaped into the best version of yourself in that area. He is always faithful when we seek after Him
with our whole heart!
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