Strive to Be a Proverbs 31 Woman - Crosswalk PLUS Marriage Devotional
Strive to Be a Proverbs 31 Woman
By: Michelle Lazurek
"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her." Proverbs 31:26-28
One day, my teen daughter came to me with a problem. She needed advice and wanted to know what the Bible had to say on this issue. We sat down and discussed it at length. We didn't see eye to eye at first, but at the end of our time, I was able to not only give her practical advice from the Bible but also the biblical framework to work from in the future, which was how we arrived at our conclusion. As we were talking, my husband walked in and listened as we discussed the topic. He didn't insert any input, but he seemed pleased that we were able to come to a biblical conclusion regarding her problem.
The next day, my husband wrote me a note. He called me his "Proverbs 31 woman." Although a Proverbs 31 woman has always been a standard Christian women want to meet, I never believed I would. But that day after talking with my daughter, I was able to demonstrate wisdom in a way that was different than other women in her life but also demonstrate that a woman that "fears the Lord is to be praised."
Although Proverbs 31 is simply an example of what a good woman will look like, it should not be an impossible standard to meet. Any Christian woman striving to love the Lord can glorify him and become that Proverbs 31 woman. Becoming a Proverbs 31 woman entails reading the Word often and applying it in everyday life so that we have a good blueprint for how to live a righteous life and can teach others about it as well. In that moment, I demonstrated the beauty of Titus 2, which encourages women to teach younger women how to behave in and out of the home. Titus 2 is a great roadmap for women who want to instruct younger women in the faith but don't know how or don't feel worthy enough to do so.
Although the Proverbs 31 woman deals with many tasks, she understands the Bible and its commands to live a fruitful and Godly life by following God's laws. Women who want to meet this standard yield their entire lives to the Lord. That means she gives over every area of her life—her work, home, marriage, and children, just to name a few. When a woman is anchored to the Word of God in such a way that she knows how to apply it not only to her life but the lives of those around her, she exudes the qualities of the Proverbs 31 passage; others will be attracted to her because they know they see godly life within her. Additionally, a woman who follows the Lord will always be successful no matter what she does. The Lord will always provide for his people as they promise to steward what the Lord has given them.
While women will always make mistakes and sometimes feel that they don't deal with the same issues, Proverbs 31 women strive for something that, with the proper guidance, will lead them into a life of fruitful productivity. This is not only as they strive to raise godly children but also as they make a difference in the world.
Father, help every wife become like the Proverbs 31 woman. May faithful instruction always be on the tip of their tongues. Help them demonstrate Titus 2 by instructing younger women to live faithfully. Let us apply biblical principles to everyone who knows us, allowing the Bible to become the ultimate standard for righteous living. Help us glorify you in everything we do and exemplify Christlike character to others around us. Amen.
Application Questions:
The example of the Proverbs 31 woman is a hard ideal to attain. What one characteristic of the Proverbs 31 woman can you work on implementing in your life?
Who can you give faithful instruction to in your life?
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