Some translations render that verse as "much higher than jewels". But whether rubies.....or diamonds or emeralds or pearls......whatever the jewel is, it's clear that this woman, whoever she is, is valuable. And so the questions becomes for us, what does that have to do with me?
One of the things I enjoy in my leisure time is watching HGTV. I particularly enjoy shows that focus on renovating older homes, or on getting an outdated home ready to sell. In the latter case, the emphasis is always on adding value to the home. There's also a show about couples who have done significant renovations to their homes, then having a designer/realtor team come in and determine who got the biggest "bang" for their buck. In other words, who added the most value to their home.
As we begin looking at the list of characteristics that make this Proverbs 31 woman someone to model ourselves after, the first quality of her life listed has to do with value. As I was thinking about that this morning, it occurred to me that what the verse is really telling us is that this woman adds value to her husband, to her family. And I think that's an important point for us to consider, regardless of our marital status or our personal life situations. Are we adding value to the people in our circle of influence....to our spouse, to our family, to our friends. And how exactly do we do that?
I took a quick trip through Proverbs this morning searching for verses that might give me some guidance in this area. How do I add value to my spouse, my loved ones? I've listed a few verses here.......you might want to check them out. And give some thought today to how your words, your attitudes, your actions are adding value to the important people in your life.
- Proverbs 12:4
- Proverbs 21:9, 19
- Proverbs 19:11
- Proverbs 10:19
- Proverbs 16:21, 24
- Proverbs 15:28
And one more thought about being more valuable than a jewel. Have you ever been to one of those gem mines where you get the bucket full of dirt and then wash all the dirt off the rocks hoping for some special treasure to be discovered in your bucket? Think about a jewel in its natural state......just a rock! The beauty is revealed when the gem is cut and polished, when it goes through a "process" that reveals its true beauty. Life is like that. It's a process. Our sparkle, our true beauty is revealed as we are "processed" by our Master Jeweler, when we submit our lives to Him, when we commit to doing life His way.
I know that I'm still "in process". How about you?
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