I must confess as a “young” wife, I didn’t spend a lot of time with the Proverbs 31 Woman; and to be honest, I haven’t spent a lot of time studying her as an “older” wife!
Why did God choose to include an example of such “perfection”? What is a woman of “noble character,” anyway? Okay, so now that I am an “older, older” wife, I made a list (good practice at my age) in order to capture the qualities of the Proverbs 31 Woman:
Qualities of the Proverbs 31 Woman
- A wife and mother with high marks as rated by her husband and children who praised her. She was frequently nominated “Mother of the Year”!
- She was strong, passionate, and diligent in her tasks, often burning the midnight oil. She also got up before dawn to start her day. I guess she was a night-person and a morning-person. (Me? I’m good between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.!)
- Her home was in tip-top shape because of her planning and organizational management — she had all the bases covered. Any home emergencies were mere hiccups handled with ease. Any provisions needed were stocked and ready for use. (Wonder if that included an earthquake kit?)
- Her Merchant 31 Trading business was very profitable. She ranked in the top ten of notable business women and her business was featured in Fortune 500. (I never passed Home-based Business 101!)
- She was an experienced seamstress and weaver. Her skill had long graduated from cotton and was now producing beautiful clothing and home goods in fine linens. (I only got my sewing machine out when my mother came to visit — she sewed the fine fabrics!)
- Talk about a five-year plan, she used her real estate license to successfully purchase property (a vineyard) to expand her operations into the “farming” industry.
- In her free time she was a faithful instructor in all the subjects covered in the home-schooling curriculum. (My children were schooled in the days before the home-schooling options — very fortunate for them.)
- Let’s not forget her compassion on the poor and her generosity towards them.
- She was not given to idleness! Really? She didn’t even have time to look that word up in the dictionary, because I am sure it wasn’t in her vocabulary.
Let’s flip over to Titus 2:3-5, where the passage on “what is to be taught” gives insight about women of noble character. I have two lists of qualities (gotta love those lists): a “do” list and a “be” list.
The Do’s & Be’s of Titus 2
- Do honor your husband’s guidance, direction, and decisions.
- Do not be addicted to wine.
- Do not be slanderers.
- Do keep busy at home. (Blue Ribbon goes to the Proverbs 31 Woman!)
- Be submissive to your husband, having an attitude that is respectful and caring.
- Be reverent.
- Be good.
- Be loving.
- Be self-controlled.
- Be pure.
- Be kind.
Just to clarify, I will never be a real estate broker, a farmer, an international merchant, a seamstress…need I go on? My point? I will never have all the “experiences” described in Proverbs 31. So, what do I have in common with the Proverbs 31 Woman? The fear of the Lord
(Proverbs 31:30) is the reason for her noble character.
If we were able to “shadow” the Proverbs 31 Woman for a week, I am sure we would discover that her “noble character” was saturated with the Titus 2 qualities. The fear of the Lord was her foundation and her strength.
He is our foundation. He is where we start, and He is where we stand firm. He gives us the strength to walk worthy according to His calling! In Him we are women of noble character!
Walk worthy, my friends!
