Introduction
The Proverbs 31 woman is the epitomized woman. Who does not know this perfect example of a woman? She is a wife, mother and businesswoman, a multi-tasking woman. She is the one to be emulated. The Bible has her on a pedestal for all women to see and follow. If there were ever a painted picture of a role model, it would be the Proverbs 31 woman.
PROVERBS 31 WOMAN QUALITIES
The qualities of the Proverbs 31 extraordinary woman are narrated from verses 10-31. Verses 1-10 indicate to us that a mother is instructing her son who is a king on how to live a righteous life before the Lord. It is interesting to note that for the bulk of the chapter the mother advises her son on the kind of woman to choose; which makes finding a good godly woman very important. A woman can build or break a home. A good woman is a gift from God. She is treasure, which makes the Proverbs woman an interesting woman hence she builds up her family, from the husband to the children.
The Proverbs woman is a strong woman who has high moral standards, a godly woman who loves the Lord and is valueless. She fears the Lord and has wisdom that comes from God. No amount of wealth could ever equate to her. She is irreplaceable. In fact, her husband cherishes her. He is confident of, and secure in her. He does not need or will ever want another woman because he is pleased with her. She compliments her husband and brings honour to him.
She is an accomplisher, an entrepreneur, and a businesswoman. She finds pleasure in working and is not afraid to work with her hands. This woman is a trader and she travels around doing business. She looks for business opportunities even from far-off other countries. Her family is well taken care of. She is not the kind of woman who waits on her husband to provide for her and the family. No, she is a go-getter who makes good investments and buys property.
One of her most appraised attributes is that she fears the Lord. This is a rare quality that surpasses beauty. Beauty is vain and it fades, but she will shine and outlive beauty.
She commands respect. Her children call her blessed and her husband praises her. She sounds like a superwoman. That is the ideal woman.
A MODERN-DAY PROVERBS 31 WOMAN
The first question is, is it possible to be the Proverbs 31 woman? Is she a real person and can women be like her? Or is she just a model that can be used as a guideline for women?
As modern women, Jesus is the ultimate example for us. Jesus makes us perfect and righteous and he enables us. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. As much as it is important to emulate the Proverbs 31 woman, it is more important to be the woman that Jesus expects you and wants you to be.
There are things that can be achieved or done that the Proverbs 31 woman does. Most women are already doing those things unaware. A lot of companies are founded by and led by women. Just like the Proverbs 31 woman, women are entrepreneurs who do business and succeed at it. They are involved in different sectors of the business world and are successful.
Businesswomen are good mothers in this present day. The Proverbs woman seems to be taking care of her family well. She shows us that it is alright to have a helper who can help in the house and with the children. This comes in handy when you go on business trips. This is where wisdom comes in handy. There is a hint that even the Proverbs superwoman needed help. The Proverbs 31 woman is a model, not realistic. A real woman who is an entrepreneur cannot be a superwoman, but she can do as much as she can and accept help where it is needed.
Time management just like the Proverbs woman is possible. Modern-day women have diaries and are good time managers. They have had to adjust to the fast pace of the world. The secret is not to put so much pressure on yourself and trust in God who will enable you to be a good woman.
A lot of women are hard workers these days, most of them being hard-working single parents. They have become that Proverbs woman for their children, working hard to put food on the table, sending the children to school, making sure that the family stays healthy, providing decent accommodation and teaching the family a godly life. Nothing screams more about being a Proverbs 31 woman than this.
The pressures that the Proverbs 31 woman faced differ from the type of pressures and challenges that modern-day women are facing today. It would be unfair to impose the characteristics of the Proverbs woman on modern women. The Proverbs woman is a perfect model who is never angry. She is the perfect wife and the perfect mother. However, the real world is imperfect. There are no perfect wives and no perfect mothers. But with God, the modern-day woman can achieve more than expected.
LESSONS FROM THE PROVERBS 31 WOMAN
There is so much practical homemaking advice from Proverbs 31 for women. Although this was written over two thousand years ago, the principles are the same.
Homemaking is the most obvious lesson. The Proverbs 31 woman is the ideal homemaker. She takes care of her husband and her children. She manages her home so well that her children praise her.
Her work ethic is something that women can learn from and follow. She is not afraid to work with her hands and she is a businesswoman who owns property that brings profit to her house. This woman does not work in the office, a lot of women think that office jobs are prestigious and they aim for that. But in this case, it is the work of your hands that pays off.
She is not lazy. She starts work early in the morning and continues to work at night. With her hands, she makes fine linen and sells it. Not only that, she delivers girdles to the merchants, and she is a trader. If we started our day early, we could get so much accomplished by the end of the day.
We can learn the importance of planning from her. She is not afraid of the snow because her household is well clothed. She is prepared for any situation, financially or harsh weather. Her preparedness is to be emulated, for she is always ready for the future and what it brings.
Her kindness extends to the poor. She gives to the needy. We can learn from her and get involved in charity work and voluntary work. There will always be people who are in need and are helpless that need a hand. God rewards those who are kind to the poor.
Conclusion
Is the Proverbs 31 woman real? Can women be like her? She is a woman who has no faults, she is perfect. No one is perfect. And no one can do or achieve like her. Waking up at dawn and sleeping late working is not as rosy as she paints it. She works like a robot. But as women, there are so many things that we can learn from her and copy from her. We can learn from her how to look after our families and manage our households. She teaches women to be successful entrepreneurs.Â
