I won’t lie to you—the Proverbs 31 woman has intimidated me the whole of my Christian walk. There have been times I actually thought I hated her. I mean, how do you measure up to a woman that needs no sleep, whose hair and makeup is perfect, who can cook, sew, run a business, tend a garden, do charitable works, is wise and funny, and doesn’t have PMS? (I bet she’s a svelte size 10 too, and runs in marathons….)
While I like to think that this depiction of a capable wife and godly woman were more the yearnings of a king who had thousands of wives and concubines (obviously he never found the perfect woman or he’d have quit accumulating them!) than an actual flesh and blood human being, I have decided that I can learn some lessons home from this “superwoman.”
- She was prepared. She didn’t wait around for her husband to tell her when things were going south. She didn’t wait to take a reading from the political winds or what the Jerusalem news reported the stock markets were doing that day. She didn’t rely on the government to take care of her needs. In short, she worked—hard. She had a plan for food, clothing, housing and money in the bank.
- She was involved. No one else was in charge of the welfare of her family. As a businesswoman, she was involved in the economic life of her community. As a wife and mother, she had time invested in a relationship with her husband and children. As one who had a heart for God, she was involved in charity and sacrificial works.
- She was realistic. The Proverbs 31 woman was wise. She didn’t take her life so seriously that she couldn’t enjoy it and laugh a little. I think that while she prepared for eventualities, she was also comfortable and content in the knowledge that God was ultimately in control. She had an enviable balance to her life that I still have not managed to this day. (That doesn’t mean I’ve quite trying though!)
- She is an ideal, not a judgment. This was the hardest lesson of all to comprehend. Just as we work toward perfection in our faith each and every day, so this picture of a woman is an ideal that we work toward. However, we have to realize that until we make it to the other side of Heaven, that ideal and perfection will not be realized. She is an example of what we strive for, just as God’s Word gives us many examples and situations that are goals, not destinations. What does He require of us, except to do good, love our neighbor, and to love Him with our whole heart and soul.
The prepper/survivalist mindset is one we acquire through hard work, perseverance, and keeping a realistic eye on the things happening around us. It involves knowing when to react and when to lay back and bide our time. It involves understanding that the relationships we have with people, our families, and God are the most important aspects of our lives and we can’t let independence drive us to isolationism. Regardless of what goes on around us, we are still to be involved in the affairs of man.
However, for right now I’ve decided I’m still not happy with the Proverbs 31 woman. I haven’t seen a size 10 in years and my Day planner has not organized me one iota. My husband and I still argue and I doubt during those times he calls me blessed. The garden needs weeding and my sewing machine is on the fritz. While she may be an ideal I aspire to, I’ll just be thankful to get the peas shelled and put up before the holiday weekend.
And besides, where in the Good Book is the Proverbs 31 man?
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