Hello, my lovely friends! This week is the final part in the Women of the Bible series. I can’t believe we’re at the end already! Writing the series helped me take a closer look at my life and the areas I can improve in. There is so much to learn from the women of the Bible! There are many more that I didn’t write about, but there are many Bible studies available on all of them. I’d recommend any of the studies from The Daily Grace Co.
Without any further ado, let’s dive into our last Women of the Bible study about the woman from Proverbs 31.
Who was the Proverbs 31 Woman?
The Proverbs 31 woman is an unnamed woman whom we read about in, you guessed it, Proverbs 31. This is a proverb written by King Lemuel to his son about the traits of an excellent wife.
10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
What Can We Learn from Her?
She is Diligent
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from studying Proverbs 31, it’s that diligence is so important!
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable, her lamp does not go out at night. She does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:18, 27b
The Proverbs 31 woman made good use of her time. She was diligent, working late into the night AND getting up early in the morning. Imagine how much you could get done just by getting up 30 minutes earlier! Merriam-Webster defines diligence as “steady, earnest, and energetic effort: devoted and painstaking work and application to accomplish an undertaking.” The Proverbs 31 woman is an example of a diligent and hard worker. She spent her time doing things that would benefit her and her household. Making good use of our time is an important skill to work on right now. There are so many practical ways to work on diligence, but a few things I’m working on are getting up earlier and spending time with God before anything else, making a to-do list and sticking with it, and getting the important things (like school and work tasks) done before I move on to things that I’d like to do.
She Serves Others
This woman of God loved others by serving and doing whatever she could.
She opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
Proverbs 31:20
I love how this woman was so involved with people. She managed her home and cared for those in need, and I think that’s a great example to follow. No matter how busy our lives can be, it’s important to take time to love others and see what we can do for them. It doesn’t have to be huge, either! Something as simple as a bouquet of flowers, a cheerful good morning, or asking how to pray for someone can all make a difference in someone’s day. I don’t know exactly how the Proverbs 31 woman served others, but I imagine that she would be the kind of woman who takes meals to new moms, teaches her children to read, volunteers to teach Sunday School, and bakes bread every Saturday. The bottom line: no matter how old you are, there are ways to serve others, and I encourage you to think of some ways to do that this week.
She Takes Care of Herself
While the Proverbs 31 woman spends much of her time caring for and serving others, she did not neglect herself.
She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. . . her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Proverbs 31:17, 22b
1 Corinthians 19-20 says that our bodies are temples of God, and to care for them accordingly. This means eating right, getting enough exercise, and wearing modest and beautiful clothing. The Proverbs 31 woman was busy, but she made time for all of these things. If you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to find a style of workout/exercise that you enjoy. Just make sure you talk to your doctor first! Additionally, wearing modest clothes is so important as Christian girls. (I’m working on a post where I’ll talk more about this topic!) It’s difficult to find clothes to fit that description, but don’t give up. In the Proverbs 31 woman’s culture, clothing made of fine linen and purple was expensive, but high quality. I believe that it is worth taking the time to find high-quality, modest clothing.
Go Live It
How can you work on diligence?
What is one small way you can serve someone else this week?
Do you have a favorite workout type/routine?
