You Need Help to be a Proverbs 31 Woman

Imagine a world where one woman isn’t capable of being everything that the Proverbs 31 woman is. This isn’t hard for me to imagine…because I believe that we’re living in that world.

In my article A Guide to True Beauty I suggest looking at the Proverbs 31 woman as a composite of one woman’s entire lifetime, not a daily to-do list. That’s fair, right? It doesn’t seem possible for any one woman to do everything from Proverbs 31 in a single day. However, it occurred to me recently that there might be yet another way to interpret the Proverbs 31 woman character sketch. What if it is a composite picture of womanhood as a whole—a beautiful portrait of women helping other women, so that each woman is able to be the best that God created her to be?

Not every woman is great cooking. Not every woman can sew. All women are not cut out to be great decorators. Not all women get the chance to be stay-at-home moms. But everyone has the ability to learn new things, and everyone can do something well.

One woman may be good at sewing and shares that talent with her friends and neighbors, either by teaching them to sew or by helping them out when they need something sewn.

Another woman may be great at finding delicious food or recipes for her family. She then can share recipes, cooking tips, and even food itself with her neighbors!

One woman may have to work outside of the home, so another woman watches her kids for her during the day.

Another woman may be very business-savvy and able to add money to her household. She then may be able to help her friends start businesses for themselves.

One woman has the greenest thumb you’ve ever seen; she’s able to grow a beautiful garden of flowers and another garden of fresh vegetables all summer long. She then gifts flowers and vegetables to her neighbors so they can benefit from her bounty.

Another is a morning person, and yet another is a night person. They can share duties so that each is able to make the most during her best time of the day.

One woman has no more need for baby and toddler items so she shares those items with a mother whose kids are right in the middle of that stage.

Another woman is at her wit’s end and doesn’t know how to solve a marital problem she’s having with her spouse. A woman in her neighborhood went through the same problem a couple of years ago. She offers some much-needed perspective and wisdom.

A twenty-something woman is frazzled trying to take care of two toddlers, her house, and her husband. An empty nester swoops in to offer moral support as well as a physical helping hand.

An engaged woman can get a ton of advice from an already married woman. The transition from single to married is much easier when you have an idea what to expect.

I once knew a single woman with two kids who was struggling financially. Another woman, who was married with two kids, struck up a friendship with the first lady. She invited the single lady and her children to join her family for dinners, day trips, and even vacations. This enabled the single woman’s kids to experience a normal family environment up close.

Another lady I knew was bedridden most of the time. Other women took turns reading to her, talking with her, praying with her, and bringing her (and themselves) much needed encouragement.

When one woman is in distress and in need of some kind of resource, another one can come along side of her and fill in the gaps. Women can encourage one another so that each one is better able to live out their days with health, energy, strength, and more ability to help their own family.

When women step out of their own lives and go out of their way to help another woman, wisdom abounds and kindnesses become contagious. Each one has a place to go when she feels overwhelmed. 

So the next time you see or hear about a woman who is excelling in an aspect of the Proverbs 31 persona, even if it’s one tiny part, congratulate and praise her in front of other women. This encourages everyone to live up the potential that God placed within them.

There’s no room for competition among women. Competing with one another brings out your worst - not your best.

By working together, we can help one another to surpass even the numerous good qualities of the (in)famous Proverbs 31 woman.

Jennifer Heeren loves to write and wants to live in such a way that people are encouraged by her writing and her attitude. She loves to write things that bring people hope and encouragement. Her cup is always at least half-full, even when circumstances aren’t ideal. She regularly contributes to Crosswalk.com. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband. Visit her at www.jenniferheeren.com.

Publication date: May 12 2015