A Virtuous Woman - Part 2

We have looked at what a virtuous woman is, now let us look at the second part of verse 10.

For her worth is far above rubies.
Prov 31:10 (NKJV)


Rubies are a rare jewel. Because of this, they are more valuable than diamonds of the same weight. God's beautiful and virtuous woman is as rare and precious as a ruby.


An excellent[1] wife is the crown of her husband,
Prov 12:4 (NKJV)

"Gods' beautiful Proverbs 31 woman was the sparkling jewel in her husband's life! She brought the love, the color, the joy, the life, and the energy to the home." (Beautiful in God's Eyes by Elizabeth George

How encouraging. We have the chance, the responsibility to keep our homes full of joy, love, peace, energy, and fun. How can anyone find this a dull task. As God's beautiful women, we have the opportunity to shape our children, to be creative, to make our homes welcoming to our husbands so that they want to spend their time at home. We can make the difference in how happy our homes are but how do we fulfill such a seemingly overwhelming task?

First of all, we need to learn practical skills. We need to be able to keep house, including cooking and cleaning. What man wants to come home to a dirty house with nothing to eat. These are skills we need to pass down to our daughters. That is not to say boys should not learn these skills as well. Everyone should be able to take care of themselves but we are talking about God's virtuous woman here.

Second, we should have a basic understanding of finances. We must know how to pay bills, balance a checkbook, reconcile bank statements, and a basic knowledge of saving and investing. We also need to have control over our spending and become good stewards of our resources. In other words, we need to use our money wisely. Learn new ways to save money. Our husbands will appreciate us all the more for it.

We also need to manage our time well. As women, our tasks never seem to end. Do we spend half our day at the computer or watching television or are we using the time God has given us for his purposes? Are we taking care of our home and families first? We must prioritize by planning and scheduling and that includes planning for good rest. Making sure we are organized will assist in managing our time better.


As the woman of your home, you will set the general mood of your home. If you are happy one moment and angry the next, your husband and children will live in a state of confusion. Work on mastering your moods. The Bible has much to say about an angry and contentious woman.

Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman.
Prov 21:19 (NKJV)

A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike;
Prov 27:15 (NKJV)

It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Prov 25:24 (NKJV)

How do we master our emotions? First we can ask for God's help to endure through the tough times. In our imperfection, we tend to want to give up when times get tough. In our sinful nature, we can become angry, sad, or even aggressive when we don't get our own way. We must pray, asking God to help us to persevere and keep control of our tempers and our tongues. Let not your tongue speak evil.

Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
Psalms 34:13 (NKJV)

Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue.
Psalms 120:2 (NKJV)

But use it to praise the Lord and uplift others.

My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;
Psalms 71:24 (NKJV)

My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.
Psalms 119:172 (NKJV)

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Eph 4:29 (NKJV)

Women like to talk. We like to be heard. However, we need to talk less, think before we speak and say only things that are sweet, pleasant, kind and wise.

God's beautiful woman is like David. She is a woman after God's own heart. This is the woman I want to be and will be because...

"all things are possible to him who believes."
Mark 9:23 (NKJV)

In His Service,

Angela

A Virtuous Woman

I am in the middle of a study on the Proverbs 31 woman and wanted to share some of what I am learning. The full text is Proverbs 31:10-31.

Before I dig into the actual text, I want to back up to verse 1.

The sayings of King Lemuel-an oracle his mother taught him.

The Proverbs 31 woman, the woman of noble character was spoken by a woman. The King's mother taught King Lemuel what to look for in a wife, fully expecting him to find a woman with such character. What hope that brings. Women like this do exist and we can be such a woman with God's guidance.

If you look at the whole text, we see that a virtuous woman is pure, honest, industrious, thrifty, strong in character, kind, wise and holy. I will discuss each of these traits in future posts but for now, lets look at the first part of verse 10, which says,

Who can find a virtuous woman?

Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines virtue as moral goodness; the practice of moral duties and the abstaining from vice, or a conformity of life and conversation to the moral law.

The Hebrew word for virtuous is used 200-plus times in the Bible to describe an army. This Old Testament word refers to a force and is used to mean able, capable, mighty, strong, valient, powerful, efficient, wealthy, and worthy. (Beautiful in God's Eyes by Elizabeth George)

That is a tall order. It seems impossible to attain, but remember, this woman does exist. A woman needs mental toughness and physical energy to accomplish the tasks set before her. This woman is indeed rare.

So how do we become this woman? How do we begin? First of all, pray. Ask God to give you the desire to be this woman. It won't happen in a day or a week. It will take years to become a woman of such virtue.

I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:4-6

God's work in us will be complete the day we meet Jesus. This verse brings me to the next point which is a partnership in the gospel. Own it. Read and memorize God's word. Daily reading and memorizing scriptures are key tools when fighting against temptations. If you are not in the word on a daily basis, I advise you to begin today. God wants to spend time with you.

Last, surround yourself with women who will encourage you to grow in the Lord. I do this daily from my home by reading blogs of other godly women. I also spend time with women from my church and neighborhood who will encourage me. Find women who will build you up but will still be honest with you. Pray for each other, encourage each other and love each other.

If you have not begun this journey, start today. We can all be God's virtuous woman, beautiful in His eyes.

In His Service,

Angela

More on Self-Esteem

I have heard many women say that a successful career helps their self-esteem. They put their careers and/or education before that of their husband's and many times, their children. The focus is on self. This is a result of the me first attitude that characterizes our generation and a direct contradiction to how God commands us to live.


The Bible is very clear on this. Genesis 2:18 says, "The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."(NIV)

God made wives to be helpers to their husbands, not to compete with them. We are to encourage them, to build them up, not tear them down. We are certainly to place the needs of our families above our own.

Proverbs says the following about a wife of noble character.

Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life
Prov 31:11-12 (NIV)

What is your priority? Is it your own accomplishments, or those in your family. Are you selfish or a servant?

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
John 13:14-17 (NIV)

God promises His blessings for those who serve Him by serving others. We are to put the needs of others before our own.

Self-worth is found by reading the Word of God and applying it to your life. If your family is not happy and your home is not running smoothly, look at your priorities. Have you put the things of the world above God's commands? You will find no better satisfaction than having a happy home and family.

In His Service,

Angela