The Real Challenge

"She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard."  (Proverbs 31:16)

Slowing down and looking at this passage (Proverbs 31:10-31) phrase by phrase has helped us to get to know this unnamed Proverbs 31 woman a little better and hopefully has helped us to find some principles to apply to our own lives in our quest to be all that God desires us to be.  So far we have seen a woman who does her work willingly, who is trustworthy, who goes shopping (!!!!!) and who gets up early.  Today we see a businesswoman.  Before we think about that, let's go back and review. 

This woman whose value is "far above rubies" has set quite an example for us, hasn't she?  Before we start beating ourselves up because we can never live up to this standard, let's take a step back and revisit the principles she illustrates for us.  No matter what our circumstances in life, what season of life we are in, whether we are married or single, have children or not.......there are some principles here that are important for us to consider.  This is an unselfish woman.  This is a woman who loves her family.  This is a woman focused on doing and being her best - not to call attention to herself but for the benefit of those she loves.

Today's verse shows us a businesswoman who makes a profit.  Does that mean we should all start our own businesses today?  I don't think so.  The principle here, I believe, is that she is not impulsive.  She considers the field before she buys it.  She thinks about it carefully to determine whether this purchase is a wise investment.  She reinvests her profits.  She manages her money well.

Consider these passages from the New Testament and how this woman measures up. 

• Philippians 2:5-8
• 1 John 4:7-11
• Colossians 3:23

Having considered how the Proverbs 31 woman measures up, let's get personal.  How do you measure up?  How do I?  That's the real challenge, isn't it?!

"Her virtue (verse 10) led to
          her willing heart (verse 13) which led to
                    her industry (verse 13) which led to
                              her savings (verse 11) which led to
                                        her investments (verse 16) which led to
                                                  her prosperity (verse 25).
                                                                          (from Beautiful in God's Eyes
                                                                                 by Elizabeth George)

A Little More Sleep

"She rises also while it is yet night, and gives food to her household and work to her maids." 
(Proverbs 31:15)

As I read this verse, I think there may be many of you out there who would like to join me in a collective groan!!!  The idea of "rising while it is yet night" is not one that appeals to me.  And fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you view this idea of getting older!!), I have arrived at a season of life where that is not generally required of me.

But once upon a time.........I was once a young mother with children to wake, feed and get to school on time.  And before that those children were even younger and not only did I "rise while it was yet night", I often spent much of the night awake with those precious children!!!  So......if you're younger than I, and you're still dealing with late-night feedings, or with children who don't want to wake up and go to school, or with all the other tasks of motherhood that often rob you of your sleep, don't think I am unsympathetic.  I do understand what it's like......I've been there.  And I'll give you the same advice that was given to me.......you can sleep when they are grown :) 

But back to the passage at hand.  I don't really think this is a verse about equating sleep deprivation with godliness!!!  Although the idea of rising in the night does make me think about being sleep deprived, which led me to the concordance to look up the word "sleep".  I found 10 verses in the book of Proverbs which use the word.  You might want to get your concordance (or go to http://www.blueletterbible.org/) and check that out.  Some interesting food for thought there.

The point I think we really need to get from this verse is that this is a disciplined, organized woman.  And, as we have noted before, she is unselfish!  She is focused on what is best for her family rather than on what is best for her.  That may be the biggest lesson we need to learn in our increasingly me-centered 21st century world!  Obviously back when this woman lived, the world was very different.  No alarm clocks, daylight-savings-time, 24 hour news channels, no central air or heat.  A lot was required to keep her household running smoothly that is not required of us.  We generally don't have to trim the lamps and light the fires when we get up. 

Even so, we each have tasks that are necessary to keep our households - and our own hearts as well - running smoothly.  In that respect, the discipline of this Proverbs 31 woman is a great example to us.  If we were to somehow put her into our modern world, we would probably find that she gets up early enough to be sure the day gets off to a good start......for herself and her family.  How that works out in my "empty nest" situation is probably vastly different from how it works for those of you with children still at home.  The point is not that we all operate on some carbon-copy schedule, but that in whatever our particular situation, we are planning well for ourselves and our household, just as this woman did.  We need to make time......for the Lord, for planning our day, for getting everybody out the door on time, for __________.  You fill in the blank for your situation!

Those of you who know me at all know that I am definitely not a morning person.  In my empty nest, that's not a real big deal.  Back when I was a mother of school-age children and when I worked outside the home, it was a lot bigger deal.  Because I'm not a morning person, and because it really does take me a LONG time to get going in the morning, I had to build extra time into our morning schedules to give me time to wake up.  Did I enjoy getting up an hour earlier......no, I did not!!!  But that's how long it took to get me going, so that's what I did.  And I survived!!!  You will, too :)   Even though it may not feel like it right now!!

"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, and your poverty will come like a robber, your need like a bandit."  (Proverbs 24:33-34  HCSB)

A Merchant Ship??? Seriously??!!!!

"She is like the merchant's ship; she brings her merchandise from afar."  (Proverbs 31:14)

Now that I've worked my way through doing my tasks willingly, and not just because they are there or because I'm supposed to or because......... (or at least, I am working on it!!!  After all, I'm still a work in progress!!!).....here comes a comparison I don't think I'm very excited about at all.  I mean really, what woman wants to be compared to a ship?  And a "merchant ship" at that!!!  I'm just sayin'............

So, once I got over being offended (just kidding!!) about being compared to a merchant's ship, I began to give some serious thought to what this comparison really means and how I, who live in the mountains where I haven't seen any merchant ships lately, am supposed to apply this to my life.  Since I wasn't getting very far with that pursuit, I decided to dig out my Elizabeth George book (Beautiful in God's Eyes) and see what she had to say about this verse.  Once I located the book (!!!), this is what I discovered......"This image may not seem too appealing at first, but consider for a moment how the woman who is beautiful in God's eyes is indeed like a merchant's ship.  We can easily imagine, for instance, how she scours the marketplace for goods that will enhance the quality of life of those under her roof.  She spares no cost in terms of money, time, or effort when it comes to the well-being of those she love.....As she sees it, her loved ones deserve nothing but the best.  So, motivated by a heart of love, she goes the extra miles to provide the best for those at home."

So........it's about shopping!!!  That's a topic I can relate to!!  But I suppose before we take this verse as a biblical mandate to become a shopaholic, we should step back, take a deep breath, and think it through carefully.  A key may be found in the passage I quoted from Elizabeth George's Beautiful in God's Eyes....
"motivated by love".  Motivated by love, this woman "sails forth" to search the market place, looking for bargains and seeking to enhance the quality of life of her loved ones. 

To become this kind of beautiful woman is more than just an awareness that our motivation and priority should be on our family and loved ones rather than ourselves.  We need to consider what practical steps we can take to become this kind of woman.  In other words, how do I do this?  Let's think about that for a minute.  If we're thinking specifically in terms of shopping, how about these practical steps:  focus on saving money rather than spending; look for bargains; become a coupon clipper; avoid impulse buying.  Perhaps you can think of others. 

Or how about approaching this topic from a different direction.  Instead of thinking simply in terms of shopping and spending money, think of yourself as tasked with bringing beauty to your home.  How can you use your creativity and abilities to enhance the quality of life in your home?

Look back at Proverbs 9.  There's a contrast in this chapter between verses 1-6 and verses 13-18. Read those verses and note the contrast.  Then think of these two passages as two homes, and think of yourself as looking through the window into each home.  What do you see?  How would you describe these two "homemakers".  Now......here's where we get personal.......if someone were looking through the window into your home, or mine, how would it be described?  How are we expressing our love for our families?  This Proverbs 31 woman made it a priority to seek the best and to provide well for her household.  How do we measure up?

She Works Willingly

"She seeks wool and flax and works willingly with her hands."  (Proverbs 31:13)

Works willingly.......that's a loaded phrase, isn't it?!!  I don't know about you, but I don't always willingly approach the tasks I have before me!!  There are some tasks that are routinely part of my life that I do without thinking and with no particular complaint......making the bed, for example.  But does the fact that I'm doing it almost by rote, without complaining, equal to doing it willingly???  And then there are some tasks that I am much less excited about (cleaning toilets, for example).  I definitely can't say I do that willingly.  And to take the rest of the verse literally, when was the last time you or I went out seeking wool and flax (in context, with the intent to dye it, spin it, weave it, etc.)??

What does all this have to do with you and me?  What can we learn from this Proverbs 31 woman?  I think she is setting an example of enthusiasm for us.  She willingly (enthusiastically) approached the tasks before her.  In her day, that involved weaving and dyeing wool, and working with flax, which involved hard work and lots of steps (peeling, drying, beating, spinning).  She did it all willingly for the benefit of her family.  And perhaps that's a key.  She was focused on her family's needs.  Some translators have dealt with this phrase "works willingly" in a different way, using words like merrily or joyfully to describe her work.  Again, that sounds a lot like enthusiasm to me.

And this leaves me feeling just a bit convicted about my own attitudes.  Whether in my current empty-nest situation, or in earlier years with children still at home and the additional activity involved, I wonder if my attitude toward my tasks would ever have been described as "enthusiastic"??!!  That's something I'm purposing to work on today.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."  (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men."  (Colossians 3:23)

What's Your Plan?

"She does him good and not evil all the days of her life."  (Proverbs 31:12)

In some ways, this verse takes us back to a previous thought about adding value to the lives of those we love.  But this goes even farther.  This woman has a purpose in life!  Her goal is to benefit her husband with good, to brighten his life.  This is the ultimate in unselfishness.  This woman does not have a "what's in it for me" attitude, but rather has a goal, a life purpose of lifting up her husband, of making his life "good".  And she does this "all the days of her life".  How do you and I follow this example?  How do we take this picture of unselfishness and live it out in our everyday lives? 

Following the Proverbs 31 woman's example is in many ways the same as following Jesus' example.....doing good to others.  Examine Proverbs 3:27, Galatians 6:10 and Colossians 3:23.  What do you learn and what insight do these verses give in how to do good in your relationships?

A phrase that jumps out at me in today's verse is "all the days of her life".  If we view our relationships from this perspective, what difference would it make in how we treat others and how we respond to circumstances?  Hmmm......think about that! 

And finally, think about the contrast in this verse.......she does good and not evil.  Look at Proverbs 14:22 -
"Do they not go astray who devise evil?  But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good."  Another word for "devise" is "plan".  So here's the question.....what are you planning today?  How (and be specific) do you plan to do good to your spouse, your family, or those with whom you are in relationship. 

Here's an idea......as you are considering your plan, why not make a list?  (I'm a big list-maker!)  Maybe it could be an alphabetized list!!!  The A-B-Cs of "doing good"!!   It might start out as A - always encourage; B - be thoughtful; C - control my temper or control my spending or.........  You know your situation and your personality (and its flaws!!) better than I do.  My list will probably look different than yours.  That's not important.  The important thing is to purposefully follow the exhortation of this verse and "do him good and not evil all the days" of our lives.  The important thing is to have a plan and to carry it out.

So, what's your plan?

What I Want for Us

"He will have no lack of gain."  (Proverbs 31:11)

Good Morning!  Welcome to Monday!  We're continuing to get to know the woman of Proverbs 31 a little better as we journey phrase by phrase through this chapter of Proverbs.  Today we have arrived at verse 11 and are attempting to understand this phrase and how it applies to us in the 21st century.

Let's begin by thinking about what it meant in the culture of the Old Testament.  I did a little research and discovered that in those days, when one army went to battle and defeated another, the victorious army carried off the "spoils of war"......people, livestock, jewels, clothing, and treasures of silver and gold.  There were other ways as well that people obtained wealth without going to war.  These included hiring oneself out as a servant, borrowing, or the same pattern we often see in our culture.......lie, cheat, steal!
 
What does that have to do with being a woman of God, with being beautiful in His sight?  Maybe it has to do with determining that it will not be necessary for our spouse to lie, cheat or steal to gain wealth!  (Or, if you are single, to determine that you will not do that yourself!!)  Maybe it has to do with making a contribution to the household income.  Or maybe it has to do with being a good steward, a good manager, of whatever wealth or assets the household has.  It seems to me that this last point fits well into the overall context of the chapter.  This is a woman who is committed to the well-being of her household.

It's not my intent to make this a post about money or money management.  In fact, I'm probably the last person you want to take advice from when it comes to money!  My advice is......if you need help in this area, you should get it!!  My other advice is this (a quote I heard a couple of days ago from a well-known financial "guru" on a television news show)......"pay attention to the details"!  And I think that fits well into the context of today's Scripture passage.  I think this Proverbs 31 woman is one who paid attention!  And her household benefitted from it!

Without sharing any horror stories, let me just say that the lesson here is this......pay attention!  Be a good steward, a good manager, of what has been entrusted to you, whether it's a lot or a little.  In this way, God is honored and your family benefits as well.

This might be a good day to do some research on the topic of biblical stewardship.  What does the Bible have to say?  Use your word study tools, such as http://www.blueletterbible.org/ and see what you can learn.  Here are a few verses from Proverbs to get you started:

• Proverbs 14:1
• Proverbs 21:6, 17
• Proverbs 24:3-4
• Proverbs 27:23-24
• Proverbs 28:19

And here's an assignment from Elizabeth George's book Beautiful in God's Eyes......."glance again through those sacred verses, Proverbs 31: 10-31.  Ask God to open your eyes to the many references to this beautiful woman's thrifty and wise money management.  She was truly an unfailing prize to her husband and a tribute to her God.  And that's what I want for you."

And that's what I want for us as well.....

A Work in Progress

"The heart of her husband trusts in her."  (Proverbs 31:11)

Yesterday we focused on adding value to the lives of those we love.  We specifically focused our attention on our attitudes and on our verbal expressions.  Perhaps you thought of other ways you add value to your loved ones.

Today we move to verse 11 and to the issue of trust.  The verse tells us that our unnamed role model is trusted by her husband.  Which means she must be someone who is trustworthy.  And so I've been thinking about what that means and a couple of things have come to mind.  If I am to be a trustworthy woman, then I must be a woman of my word.  In other words, I should do what I said I would do when I said I would do it.  There should be no cause for people to wonder if, when I say I will do something, I will really follow through.

Another thing I thought of in the area of being trusted has to do with knowing when to keep my mouth shut!  When to speak and when to be silent! It seems to me that being trustworthy means that if someone shares a confidence with me, there should be no reason for them to wonder whether or not I will keep that confidence or if I will betray their trust.

The verse we're examining today says the Proverbs 31 woman is trusted.  And while what that means seems fairly obvious, I decided it would be worthwhile to get out my word study tools and see exactly what the word "trust" meant in the original language.  So I looked it up and found that the word translated here as "trusts" means to trust.  (I can see you rolling your eys and saying "duh!")   It also means to feel confident, to take heart and to be of good courage.  That sounds a lot like encouragement to me.  So, maybe it's not to be a stretch to say that one way I can apply this verse is to be an encourager!  How interesting that this is at the top of the list!  Yesterday's verse told us that a good wife (or a "virtuous woman", depending on which translation you are reading......in any event, these are truths that apply whether married or single!) is more valuable than rubies.  Today's verse begins to list qualities that make her so valuable.  And right here on top of the list..........she is trustworthy, she is an encourager! 

So, once again, I've scanned through Proverbs for more verses than support this thought.  Here are some I discovered and am meditating on today.  You may find others.  If so, please share them in the comments section and be an encourager to the rest of us!!

• Proverbs 19:14
• Proverbs 11:22
• Proverbs 14:30
• Proverbs 31:12,25, 28-29

Here's the challenge I'm giving myself today......and I invite you to take the challenge as well.  Consider some specific steps to take toward being this kind of woman.......trustworthy and encouraging.........not just some of the time, but all of the time!

When I think about the attributes of this Proverbs 31 woman and how I measure up, I realize that some days I do a pretty good job.  Some days, not so much!  As I said yesterday, I'm still a work in progress.  How about you?