Thanks be to God for allowing me to "meet" Christian women online! This post is written by Julie, who is a fellow pastor's wife, a homeschool Mom to 4, and a blogger! Please make sure you visit her blogs,
here, and
here, as they are a blessing!
A Proverbs 31 Woman
As I prayed about what to share with you today, I felt the Lord’s leading in what have we, as women lost in today’s society? What is needful for us to hear that we won’t hear from the television, the radio, etc… And it all comes down to a few questions… and I ask them of you as the Lord asked them of me:
What kind of example are you setting with your life?
For your daughter
For your granddaughter?
For your co-workers?
For your unsaved family, for we all, I’m sure have these?
And then, this leads to my other question….
What instructions or guidance do God and His Word give us in the example that we are to be setting?
This brings me to the text today, a familiar one, I’m sure to most of us...Proverbs 31:
Proverbs 31:10-30 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life...She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple… Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
What is meant by the word virtuous?
Webster defines it as: having, or characterized by moral, virtue; righteous; chaste.
a moral excellence, right action and thinking; goodness and morality
The dictionary also gives a definition for theological virtue as: the three virtues (faith, hope, and love) that have God as their immediate object. I like that..it’s good!
In looking at this section in Proverbs, I see 5 qualities or attributes of a virtuous woman and I’d like to share them with you quickly:
1. She is trustworthy.
Are you honest? Can people trust you?
1Thessalonians 4:11-12 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
1Peter 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles:
Conversation here is translated your conduct or way of life.
Are your dealings honest? Do you treat people fairly and justly?
Do you pay for what you receive?
She is benevolent.
Are you generous with what the Lord has blessed you? Or are you stingy?
You know, I have a reputation of being called the coupon queen… I use a lot of them…and my family laughs that if something’s not on sale and I don’t have a coupon for it, we don’t get it! Kevin says one of my favorite words is “free”!
But that’s frugality and a whole different matter. That’s being a wise steward, I believe
But benevolent means willing to give to those in need.
Jesus said, in Matthew 25, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
2Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
1John 3:17-18 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
It’s easy to say that you love others, but do your action prove it?
3. She takes care of her household.
This is a big one that I feel we have lost. With all the women’s lib and women’s rights movements.
Titus 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Now, I’m not going to stand here and say that it is wrong for a woman to work or have a career. But I will say, that a virtuous woman knows her responsibilities at home as well to her husband and children.
I am blessed to be a stay at home mom. It’s not always easy (back to coupons). I also am blessed to be able to home school my children. My daughter is finishing her senior year in high school, that’s hard to believe. And she has been home schooled her entire life. It’s not always been easy either (right now I’ve got an 12th , 10th, 7th, and 1st grader). But it’s a blessing. I know my kids. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or you work, you better know your kids. What are they doing? Who are their friends? Who’s influencing them?
Do you have a relationship with your kids? Are you setting that example before them? Do they know that they are important?
I have 3 boys and they like to play ball…baseball, football. So I’ll pitch the ball to them or send them out for the long pass.
Laurie and I like to scrapbook. We do it together. It’s fun.
Your kids watch you. They learn from you. Be that godly example before them, because they aren’t going to get it from others!
4. She speaks well.
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Speak the truth first of all.
The words that we speak- they are powerful. They can build some one up and encourage them or they can tear someone down.
Also, our tone of voice is important: I’m sorry vs. I’m sorry. Does your tone say that you mean it?
Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
So choose words wisely
Not only is a virtuous woman trustworthy, benevolent, one who takes care of her household, and speaks well, but lastly…
5. She fears the Lord.
This here, is the most important and yet it is the last.
What does this mean? It’s not a trembling fear we’re talking about.
To know God so as to walk aright before him. Holy reverence of God leads us to praise him, worship Him for who He is.
Proverbs defines it in 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Do your children see you daily reading the Word & praying?
Is being in church a priority for you?
Are you serving in the Body of Christ?
Do you have a burden for the lost?
Are you setting the example here for others?
I know who I was before Christ. I know what the Lord did for me. And I don’t ever want to go back, but I want to serve Him all the days of my life.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
A Virtuous woman will love God, love His Word, love that which is good and right.
Will set that godly example that we so desperately need today.
Be the woman that God wants you to be and live for Him.
I sat down to read a few magazines the other day, just to relax, and ended up getting a big slap upside the back of the head. After I started reading an article (that caught my eye) in the March issue of Baby Talk magazine, I started feeling extremely uncomfortable. (Go ahead and read it here.) Once I finished the article, I realized that maybe I was what this article talked about, that I was one of those Mom's. I couldn't believe it, but you know that the first sign is denial. 
