“It’s a strong man’s hands which will clap for his woman and still feel great about himself”
Her children arise and call her blessed…Her husband also praises her. (Proverbs 31:28-29)
The other day, I left the house while it was still dark. I often have an early start at the office so that I can work on the mountain of files on my desk. Everything seemed urgent and I knew that if I did not act on each, a client somewhere would have the law running for his property. A quick lunch with a friend and back to calls, meetings, giving answers. In between, I dash to the washroom just to whisper a prayer, “Lord, help me manage it all and do it well.”
The length of day is sometimes dictated by the work on the desk meaning; some days demand I put in more time than the usual. On this day I got home close to half past ten: extremely exhausted. I had a list of reasons why I needed God to either change my work hours or bless me with a new job- perhaps.
Top on my list ,“Lord, I barely have time alone with you. My life feels imbalanced.”
Managing Vs coping
I could not help but wonder how I would have managed at the same time with having others waiting on me – a child or husband – after such a gruel some day at work. Changing hats as shall be required of a woman in different seasons be it from the career woman’s hat to mother or wife- got me thinking about the Proverbs 31 woman. Who is she? Is she real?
God must have known a young woman would one day ask this question and graciously introduced her to us. In my analysis this woman must be a ten out of ten, more of a super woman if you ask me. Her standards seem very high- she is certainly a precious jewel, a rare treasure to be sought after. The miner has to have the right kind of equipment to help him detect the location of this good thing or else he will miss her.
Hidden in plain sight
She is the woman who will be so deeply hidden in God that only as Mr.man is seeking God that he will find her in Him. Only in his pursuit of her Father will he learn from Him how to take care of her so that she maintains her value and glow. He will have to know that, before he came along, God has kept her as the apple of His eye, alone but complete in Him. That favor with her Father is the addition that comes along with finding her.
Not on hold
The Proverbs 31 woman is not a woman who has put her life on hold in the pretext of waiting. She is discerning, like one of the ten virgins who were waiting for the groom, yet keen enough to be keeping watch. Remember they waited ready with their lamps full of oil and burning bright? So does she. She waits in prayer, not living in the future when they will be together but living today to the fullest. Ruth, (Mrs. Boaz) if you like, went on with her life, fending for her mother-in-law. One day she just “happened” to seek a casual job at her future husband’s farm. The Proverbs 31 woman understands her season will change in God’s perfect timing. Doesn’t He make everything beautiful in its time? She seeks after understanding God’s plan while her life is going on. It’s with such understanding that this woman watches in prayer.
A help meet
She prays for him .For her Father to direct him in his search, to teach him in gathering food for his household, to be priest of their home, to lead his own. She starts helping him even before meeting him for that is what her role in his life will be, a help meet for him.
Quality defines the work of the Proverbs 31 woman. Mediocrity is not in her character; hence she will concentrate on producing quality rather than mere quantity. Whatever she puts her hands to, she does it to please the lover of her soul. The one who strengthens her arms for her tasks and causes her to stand on heights. Be it in her career, school work, or home with the mundane domestic chores, she understands time is her greatest resource. Hence this woman does not have the time to do everything but only that which she knows she has been assigned- her Father’s will and purpose.
The jewel of Proverbs 31 will be found busy, not making nylon and polyester but dealing with wool and linen. Find out the difference in these fabrics-Quality!
Leadership bestowed
Leadership is a gift that the Proverbs 31 woman of excellence has been bestowed with. She is a manager with influence and authority. To discover this gift, she needs to look at the opportunities that God keeps presenting her with for her to lead be it at home, church, at the office. Until she understands the potential she has, God will not cease presenting opportunities for her to lead and no one ever started from the top. The jewel of Proverbs 31 is in charge of her home, see how she gets up before day light to tell her women servant what to do.
All in all-just a vessel….
The woman of excellence must understand that she is just but a vessel for God to use. She is a servant in as much as she is a leader. To those she leads she is also a servant meaning that she has to serve what she gathers. That is why the jewel of Proverbs 31 goes far and wide and brings food from out of the way places as merchant ships do. She has to seek after spiritual food whether she is in the mood for it or not, at the end of the day she is expected to serve. The woman of excellence is expected to develop a discipline in bible study and prayer for that is how she will get spiritual nourishment. It is a discipline to be cultivated for it’s not everyday that she will be in the mood to go through scripture and even whispering a prayer may be an uphill task. Yet the woman who works out this discipline will bear fruit at the right time. The food she gathered in her worst season will be the best for someone else in his or her worst season. Even if it means reading scripture in traffic, on her computer online before work starts, or doing a prayer walk along the street. She knows that she must stay connected to her source. Success in all that she does is what her Father has promised-in everything.
This article was first published on the LSR Christian Magazine in 2012.
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