Yesterday, one of my friends said how she fears not being able to live up to the Proverbs 31 woman.
I get it; it’s a LONG list of things we need to do. But I found a trick that’s really worked for me, and I wanna share it!
The Secret Way to Become The Proverbs 31 Woman
Instead of looking at the list like it’s super daunting, break it out, piece by piece and work on ONE thing at a time!
When I first started trying to be like the Proverbs 31 woman, I started with the first verse, then the next, then the next. I worked really hard to line my life up to that and really dive deep into figuring out HOW I could apply all that to my life today, how to make it applicable.
Work on each topic at a time.
She is trust worthy (vs. 11). How can you become trust worthy to your husband? What kind of things can you do today, that will earn his trust? Discuss with your husband any areas that he might NOT trust you in. Do you spend money wisely? Hide purchases from him? These things don’t conjure up trust and need to be worked on.
She is fruitful (vs. 16). The Bible talks a lot about sowing seeds. When we sow seeds, we reap whatever it is we sow. When we sow to good things (good actions, thoughts, and deeds), we reap good things (good actions, thoughts, and deeds). Here in the text, she is sowing good things. She bought a field. She thought it would be a good and wise thing to do, so she did it and is making a vineyard that is fruitful. What is something that you can sow to and reap fruit from? What good things are you sowing to? What good thing CAN you sow to?
She is loving (vs. 15). Not only is she loving toward her family, but she’s loving toward those that work for her as well, which is a great boss. She’s a very loving person. Most likely, you are loving to your husband and children, but are you loving to those outside your family? Do you treat your employees, your team members, your co-workers, anyone you work with well also? How can you improve and show the love of Christ MORE to those people in your life?
She is kind (vs. 20). Working as hard as she does, you’d think she’d be hard-pressed to just give it all away, but such is not the case with the Proverbs 31 woman. She is working hard, but she’s also very generous with the poor. She’s opening her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy (meaning she’s helping them). It sounds like she’s not only financially giving, but she’s also working to help them as well. With your money, time, and resources, how do you help the poor and needy? Is there anything MORE you can do for those in need in your community either giving financially or rolling up your sleeves and getting in there and working along side them to help? How can you be more kind to others?
She is generous (vs. 20). This is the same as being kind. How can you be more generous?
She is wise (vs. 26). We saw her wisely consider a field in vs. 16, and here in vs. 26, she’s wise as well. She’s wise in her thoughts and wise in her speech. The tongue is the hardest thing to control in a human’s life and the Proverbs 31 woman has a reign on her tongue. What can you do in your life to speak more wisely? Do you often find yourself nagging (Proverbs 21:9), gossiping (Exodus 23:1), or maybe you find yourself speaking negatively and being bitter (Ephesians 4:29), causing all those around you to sin? We must speak wisely. How can you improve in speaking and being more wise?
She is hard working (vs. 15, 17, & 27). This woman is not idle or sitting on her butt all day long. She’s waking up early, going to bed late, she’s working hard, seeing her work is fruitful, buying fields, making sashes, providing for her handmaidens…I mean, she’s hauling. Would the Lord consider you hard working? Follow up question…are you working hard on things that MATTER for the kingdom of Christ or for your own little kingdom???
She is …
- trust worthy
- fruitful
- loving
- kind
- generous
- wise
- hard working
Becoming a Proverbs 31 woman takes time and practice, but every day as you live your life, you can line your thoughts, actions, and most importantly…your heart, up to the will of God.