This past summer I went through Proverbs 31, verse by verse and I have to say…..it changed my life! I went from being a little intimidated of her to embracing her and desiring to live my life well……just like the example she set.
I know many women read Proverbs 31 and cringe. She’s so intimidating. She seems so “perfect.” We question whether this was actually one real woman or a combination of many woman…..but the fact remains….Proverbs 31 is in the Bible for a purpose, to show us something. To teach us something. All scripture is God-breathed……God has a purpose in those verses no matter how hard and intimidating they can be to read.
So I set out this summer to find the purpose of Proverbs 31 for me.
This is what I discovered.
She knew WHO to be focused on…
The Proverbs 31 woman lived a life that was completely focused on her Lord. Everything she did for her family and her community came from her desire to live a life that was honoring to Him.
We see in verse 11 that her husband has full confidence in her. Why is this man able to have full confidence in her? It’s because he knows where her confidence comes from…her confidence is grounded in Christ. The roots of her confidence go deep into her faith in God…..the source of her strength.
The Proverbs 31 woman was able to bring her husband good all the days of her life not because of his merits as a husband but because she was able to see through her husband to her Lord. She served and honored God by bringing her husband “good all the days of her life” on her husband’s good days and bad.
She was focused on God.
She focused on making the most of her time.
It’s amazing to read and see all that this woman was able to accomplish in her lifetime! Not only was she focused on living a life for her Lord, she was determined to make every minute count!
She made good use of her time by getting up early, planning her day, and working hard.
I believe she lived a balanced life though……she knew the difference between working hard for God and burn-out.
She was focused on the race…..winning the prize.
I see her more as a marathon runner rather than a sprinter.
She was steady in her “race”……keeping the pace but realizing she was in this for the long haul and wanted to finish strong.
She ran her race well.
Watching the Olympics the past few weeks really inspired me and I was able to draw a lot of comparisons between the Proverbs 31 Woman and an Olympic athlete.
This is what I shared with my readers last week:
To complete in the Olympics a person must be:
1. Focused…….focused on their goal…..focused on the prize……the gold medal.
2. Disciplined…..willing to say “no” to the distractions in their life so that they can say “yes” to the exercise that will prepare them to win their prize.
3. A hard worker…..training their body…..pushing themselves till it hurts…..and then still giving more.
4. Far sighted….willing to look to the future and sacrifice in the present.
5. A dreamer……these athletes have dreamed of going to the Olympics for YEARS and that dream is what has driven them to work so hard and sacrifice so much.
When I envision the Proverbs 31 Woman……I see an Olympian!
The Proverbs 31 Woman was:
1. Focused…….focused on God, her husband, her family and her community.
2. Disciplined…..she got up early in the morning to prepare for her day…..she spent her money wisely and not frivolously……she was in control of her words instead of her words being in control of her.
3. A hard worker…..she was always busy tending to the needs of her family or the needs of others…..yet she made sure she had time to be in her family’s life by “watching over the affairs of her household.”
4. Far sighted……just like an Olympian…..she also was willing to look to the future “laughing at the days to come” and willingly sacrificed for her family in the present.
5. A dreamer….she dreamed of “running her race well”…glorifying her Lord in every aspect of her life……she lived her life focused on the “prize”.
What are the fruits of a life that is focused on God?
One of the fruits of a life well lived is praise.
Praise from her children…. “Her children arise and call her blessed…”
Praise from her husband… “Her husband also, he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things but you surpass them all’.”
Praise from her “city”… “Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”
But most importantly……praise from God for living a life so focused on Him.
You see, we can try to be the best wife or mom we can be, but if our focus is off……our life will be too.
My sweet friend, let me encourage you to focus on God and God alone! I know I’m preaching to myself, but let’s run our race well……focusing on the prize…..God.
There are so many distractions in our world. Distractions that can get our focus off of God and onto ourselves, our problems, our worries, our hurts, ….our weakness.
But let’s remember that when we are weak……He is strong!
Focus on Him…..the source of our strength and live a life worthy of His praise!
I’m cheering for YOU all along the way!
Love God Greatly!
-Angela
