I've heard women complain about the comparison of the Proverbs 31 woman to our lives and demands and they say "Sure, if I had handmaidens I could get a lot done too!". But ladies, we do have handmaidens. As I already mentioned we have breadmakers, add to that dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, crockpots, microwaves, timed coffee pots! Every gadget to make your life easier is available! Even electricity and running water are luxuries that the Proverbs 31 woman didn't have available! Not to mention hot running water, and toilets?! Shew! I bet she would have loved to have flushable toilets!
So when we think it would be impossible to be like the woman in Proverbs 31 don't fall for that lie! We can be like that woman or God wouldn't of put it in scripture. Be encouraged, maybe it's just a change of priorities that needs to be made? Are you perhaps spending your time and energy in ways that really isn't beneficial?
This is a wandering thought and not meant in any way to criticize my mother because I think she is as close to the Proverbs 31 woman as any that I have know, her and my early care babysitter! I know I grew up with 2 sisters, so my mother had 3 helpers available to train and put to work in the things our family needed taken care of, but as I said my mother was a very busy woman. Before all of the convenience foods available now my mother was a working woman, with 4 children that she kept well fed, clean and in bed on time! My father was a very real support in our family, but he was always busy outside with "men's work" like cutting firewood, hauling hay, building fences, handling cattle(branding, immunizing, culling, checking to make sure they were still there!) and of course there was hunting and fishing!
Anyway, between my mother's 40 hour a week job, and cooking, cleaning, gardening, sewing, canning and mothering, she didn't have a lot of time left over for teaching and training. Often it was easier to send her daughters to play or go outside or whatever would help to get them out from "under foot". It might have behooved her to train her daughters to do some of the chores that demanded so much of her time and energy? While it might seem like it's doing the children a favor to let them go play while you take care of the chores is not necessarily true. The children will not learn the responsibility of the things that keep life running on a level balance and it will stress you more trying to do the things that they could handle. If you have a family that doesn't have outdoor "men's work" like cutting wood, hauling hay...etc you may even consider that your sons will need to know how to care for themselves also! (I hope you heard the facetious tone in that sentence, of course sons should be helping!)
These are just some thoughts I've had about the Proverbs 31 woman and some of the excuses that women today can't possibly live up to that! I am going to make it a point to read these scriptures daily for awhile(maybe a month?) and see what things I can start incorporating into my life instead of wasting so much time on things that are of no value.
Proverbs 31:10-31
Description of a Worthy Woman
10 An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above 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 evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes 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,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She opens her mouth in 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 bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
For her worth is far above 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 evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes 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,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She opens her mouth in 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 bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
