PROVERBS 31:10-31
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
I was recently reading a post on Facebook, entitled;
"10 things NOT found in Proverbs 31".
I was intrigued, so I read it. It goes like this;
OK, so there are lots of ways to interpret these verses, but I can say that mom always took care of her household. She didn't always get up before dawn to make dad breakfast, but he was still taken care of. Maybe mom didn't volunteer at a soup kitchen every weekend, but I can guarantee she never let anyone go hungry in her presence. And her words were always spoken with wisdom, even if it didn't seem kind at the time.
10 THINGS NOT FOUND IN PROVERBS 31
1. Her coffee table never has dust on it.
2. Many have eaten off her kitchen floor.
3. Better Homes and Gardens just did a photo shoot in her living room.
4. She does all of the housework herself while the kids play Wii.
5. All of the words that flow from her children’s mouths are blessed.
6. All of her children are straight A students, musical geniuses, and all-star athletes.
7. Her hair is always fixed perfectly and her make-up is artfully applied.
8. She does not touch make-up or hairspray because it is vain and the art of Satan.
9. She never makes a bad decision.
10. She is classroom mom, PTO President, the bearer of orange slices at soccer games, and the church committee queen.
I can't really say why, for sure, but that really slapped me in the face. Was it because it was wrong? No. It really doesn't say that in Proverbs. I think what really got me was the fact that I was trying to be.......this person. The "NOT found in Proverbs" woman. Let me explain.
Ever since my mom passed away, I've been wanting to be perfect. OK, not perfect in every way, but a perfect wife. I wanted to get my house in perfect condition, keep everything put away, always have nice meals cooked to perfection, wonderful desserts (home made at least once a week), the yard all landscaped and kept mowed all the time, and basically just everything........perfect.
I thought if I could do that, I would be someone that mom would have been proud of. I would be the type of woman that she was.
Now, after re-reading that last sentence, it gives the impression that my mom was perfect......and she was. As my mother, she was perfect. Was the house always clean? No. Were there always 3 home made meals a day? No. Did she always think before she spoke? No. But she was perfect? Yes.
"11: The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil."
"12: She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."
"28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her."
My dad has said many times that he couldn't have been more blessed to have had my mom because she was a "virtuous woman". I never really thought too much about that when I was younger. Mom was just......mom. She did her best to make sure her family was taken care of. She paid the bills on time, kept the house as best she could (until she was too sick to do it anymore), cooked, took care of all of us, and so much more. But now as I've grown, I say she was wonderful.
"15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens."
"20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy."
"26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness"
"30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised."
Verse 30 says it all. "A woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." This is what mom was all about. She feared God and was a servant to Him all the days of her life. That is what made her a virtuous woman. That is what she wanted from me, and what would make her proud. It doesn't really matter if nothing is perfect, because I can still be a virtuous woman by trying to do my best. By trying to be what God wants me to be and by following Him, fearing Him, and serving Him.
This doesn't mean that I won't fail. That I won't still try and have things perfect, even though I know that it's next to impossible to do, but now I realize more than ever that the first thing on my list should always be fear God and put Him first.
Thanks, mom. You have taught me the true meaning of being a true Christian wife and mother.
I pray that I can be just like you.
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