Proverbs 31: Redefined

“The Proverbs 31 Woman”.  If you’re in a conservative Christian church, you’ve heard of her.  She is the gold standard among women.  The ruler against which we can measure ourselves.  She’s pretty much amazing.  And yet, as I was reading Proverbs 31 earlier this week, all I felt was confused.  This woman is amazing.  She cares for her home, brings in money, makes clothing for her children, cooks, cleans, and meets her husband’s needs too.  How does she do it??

I read Proverbs 31 during my morning devotions and then skipped over and was reading in Romans.  There’s quite a contrast there.  Paul is admonishing the church against all kids of evil.  I read about man thinking themselves higher than God and not letting God lead them.  Then, I got to Romans 2:11.

For there is no respect of persons with God.

Not even the Proverbs 31 woman.  God doesn’t respect us because of what we do, but He accepts us because of what our hearts show.  After reading that in Romans, I had to have another look at Proverbs.

That was when I found the secret.  

Proverbs 31:10

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

It was actually scrawled in the margin from a class I’d taken years ago.  The definition of virtuous according to Strong’s.

Virtuous: A force, valiant, worthy

Worthy.

If there’s one thing I’m not, it’s worthy.  In fact, there is only ONE who is worthy and that’s Jesus Christ Himself.

So what did the virtuous woman have that made her virtuous?

She had Jesus living in her heart.

It wasn’t any of the things that she did that made her virtuous.  It wasn’t seeking wool and flax or working with her hands.  It wasn’t considering a field and buying it.  It wasn’t stretching out her hand to the poor.  It wasn’t clothing her household in scarlet.

It was having Jesus in her heart.  

The Proverbs 31 Woman was virtuous because JESUS made her so.

It’s just like what it says in Matthew 6:33.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

This changes everything!

Our priority should not be to DO anything.  It should be to make sure we’re opening our heart to Jesus daily so that He can come in…so that we can be worthy or virtuous.  Then, all those things will follow.  He will help us to be the Proverbs 31 women that HE wants us to be.

I hope this encourages you as much as it does me.  When I came to this realization, it was like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders.  No more do I have to live up to some impossible standard.  Because the standard is to be whatever God wants me to be, and with God, nothing is impossible.