Women

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The Woman of all Women

She got up before dawn. She reared children. In addition, she helped her husband, bought land and resold it. She also had a thriving textile business and a group of hired hands she oversaw.

No. She’s not super woman; she’s the woman described in Proverbs 31 as a virtuous woman, her price far above rubies. Men knew the worth of such a woman and would rather have her as a spouse than a cache of diamonds.

In the past, I envied the woman portrayed in Proverbs 31, puzzled over how this one woman could accomplish so much. In women’s Bible classes, from pulpits, in books, she was the classic model, placed on a pedestal, and none could seemingly climb to her level of performance. I knew I couldn’t.

If you haven’t read the text in awhile, stop and read it, and then you’ll follow the rest of this column more easily. In all those classes, I missed an important element within the description of her life.

By not looking deeper, I missed that this woman has gray hair. The text doesn’t actually say that she has aged and earned her fare share of wrinkles, but it surely implies that. When I finally saw this, whew, I felt better. For too many years, she had haunted me, trailed my thoughts. Taunted me with her accomplishments. I’m sure the woman herself wouldn’t have done that, but the account of her successes loomed big. I thought if only I had servant girls, then I could do what she did.

Then it occurred to me that I had the equivalent of servant girls in my household tools—washing machine, clothes dryer, electric dishwasher, Hoover vacuum, and a motorized car. Obviously the account in Proverbs 31 is an overview of her life time achievements. It’s not a single day or even a month of her life. An internet site, Proverbs 31 Ministries is dedicated to helping the modern woman create a godly home.

Women do not have absolutely perfect days. Depending upon our daily endeavors, we may have on a pair of high heels, tennis shoes, flip flops or bedroom slippers, and each brings its own set of joys and tests. One woman knew this well and after reading verse 28 which says her children “arise and call her blessed,” the frazzled mom said, “My children just rise up and call.”

This week, I glanced at the license plate on my Dodge Durango—they’ve been on it for years. Anyway, the first three identifiers are P31. I had to smile. The Proverbs 31 images are everywhere from my license plate to your lives, women.

Proverbs 31 women are everywhere. They anchor homes and businesses, and rock cradles. Why not say a great big thank you to one today or even better lend her a helping hand.