I’ve been intimidated by this woman since the first moment I read about her.
She’s the woman who has it all together.
The woman who rises early to prepare for the day.
The woman who always reaches out to help the people around her who are in need.
The woman who takes care of her home in such an orderly fashion even Martha Stewart wouldn’t be able to keep up.
The woman who wisely budgets and invests her finances.
The woman who speaks wisdom and kindness into the lives of the people around her.
The woman who works hard and lives each day with purpose.
The woman who cares not just about taking care of her outside appearance but whose beauty shines from within.
The woman who fears the Lord in all her ways and smiles at the days ahead.
Who is this woman you might ask? The Proverbs 31 Woman.
A portrayal of perfection itself.
In my desire to become the most ideal version of what I believed a Christian lady should be there were times I dreaded reading about her because she was just a reminder to me of how l didn’t measure up to her and how far from perfect I was.
More than anything in the world I wanted to be the girl who did everything right.
The girl who put others before her, who worked hard, who shined with beauty from the inside out, who faced each day with a smile, and who always had the right words to say.
But when I looked in the mirror the girl staring back at me wasn’t close to the image of perfection I wanted her to be.
I would create goals for myself to reach and rules to follow so I could be just like her.
But each time I would fail miserably and be disappointed with myself.
Until one day as I was reading about this Proverbs 31 Woman I realized something that I seemed to have missed when I read about her all those years before: this woman was godly, loving, strong, patient, and wise not because she was some sort of Martha Stewart or Mother Theresa protégé but because of the man she feared and lived for: Jesus.
She’s the perfect example of what a godly woman should be not because she always has it all together but because she reflects Christ in all her ways as a result of her intimate relationship with Him.
I realized that life changes not after you create a set of rules to follow or try to copy exactly what someone else is doing but after you spend one-on-one time in the presence of your savior.
After you spend time with Jesus you will never live your life the same again not because you try to but because it comes naturally.
You won’t want to walk the same. Talk the same. Or be the same.
The more time you spend with Him the more you become like Him.
The more you will want to be righteous, pure, loving, humble, and kind.
You will have no problem getting up early to spend time with God.
You will look for every opportunity to say a word of encouragement or to help someone in need.
You will worry more about how beautiful your heart is to Christ than your outside reflection is in the mirror.
You will live your life each day with purpose knowing that every little thing you do makes a difference in eternity.
You will look forward to your future with a smile on your face because you know that no matter what road you will travel next you will get through just fine because you will travel it with Him.
Proverbs 31 Woman is no longer intimidating to me.
I don’t dread reading about her anymore but instead I look forward to it.
To me she is a genuine example of a woman who reflects the Christ who is living in her.
An example of a woman I should strive to be.
If you allow Jesus to be the center of your life and the one you love and fear above all then you will become the ideal version of the woman you’ve always wanted to be, not by your own efforts but by His grace and presence in you.
Never be intimidated by the Proverbs 31 woman’s flawless perfection, instead admire her character and learn from her and remember that the only thing that sets her apart from all the rest and makes her special is who she allows to lives within her heart.
If you are a lady don’t seek perfection by your own efforts, seek Christ instead, and He will help you become all you want to be, just like the Proverbs 31 Woman. Be blessed! –Anna… ♥
“…a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”- Proverbs 31:30
I’ve never read it like this before. You are so right! If we allow God to work in us, and develop the right relationship with God, we will shine like the Proverbs 31 Woman. Thank you so much for your post.
Hi Pam, it is a little bit of a different perspective but it was so encouraging (and a relief) for me to realize that I was never meant to try to be anything on my own. It is with God’s help alone that we can grow and transform into the women of faith He calls us to be!
Amen!
Great insights on the Proverbs 31 woman (or super woman!). And I can see how it can be a trap and make you feel insecure and falling short. What you were saying about yourself before reminds me of the Lady Chiltern character in Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband.” If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, it’s a classic. She prided herself in having flawless behavior, not unlike the picture of the Proverbs 31 woman, but through her own failure, needed to learn grace and forgiveness. I believe that being vulnerable and showing grace are just as beautiful and virtuous in a woman as the ones listed in Proverbs (good for a man too!). But you’re absolutely right. You don’t try to strive to copy the behavior, you receive Christ’s love and let His fruit happen in our life. The beauty and virtue will shine through! Awesome post Anna. Blessings to you.
Thanks Mel. I have never read that book but it seems like something I would definitely love to read. I’m sure there are many lessons I will learn from it! I know so many young girls are all about being like the Proverbs 31 Woman and I think that’s great as long as they know the only way they’ll become like her is to really become like Jesus. It really is easy to fall into the trap of thinking it is by our own efforts that we will become that virtuous and holy woman that He’s created us to be. And I’m sure there could be many parallel insights for men when it comes to striving for perfection. In the end, we are all in need of a loving and gracious savior to show us the way into becoming more like Him daily. Thank you for your words of wisdom. Hope you have a blessed day!
Reblogged this on WFBC Media Center and commented:
To all women who feel like they are a failure, this article is for you. Great blog to follow and this is a great post to read!
Beautiful words Anna. How liberating is it to know that God doesn’t want us to be like anyone else but who He created us to be. How wonderful is it to know we don’t have to reflect anyone else but Christ. He is the greatest example to follow. I really enjoyed reading this post 🙂
“I realized that life changes not after you create a set of rules to follow or try to copy exactly what someone else is doing but after you spend one-on-one time in the presence of your savior.”
Perfect! <3
Thank you Deborah. And yes! There is much freedom in realizing that the only person we need to copy and follow in the footsteps of in this world is Jesus alone. He is the ultimate picture of holiness, beauty, and perfection and by following His Word and walking in His way we will become more like Him!
Reblogged this on Such a Time as This and commented:
Love this fresh look at the Proverbs 31 woman. We can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens us!
A fresh look at this amazing woman! Love it!
Thank you! Blessings to you! ♥
Great post! Insightful and inspiring! I just realized I’m a Proverbs 31 woman afterall – Glory to God.
Thank you Jennifer! That’s fantastic! 🙂 She isn’t so intimidating anymore, is she? Be blessed!
Not intimidating at all 🙂 God bless!
I love this, Anna. “After you spend time with Jesus you will never live your life the same again not because you try to but because it comes naturally.” It is so true. How easy it is to lose sight of this and fall back into trying to do it under our own power. Excellent post!
Thanks Rebeca. I agree, it’s easy to try to always do things in our own power especially living in a culture that’s all about being independent and accomplishing things without anyone’s help. But the only way we will ever become Christ-like is by spending time in His Word and presence daily and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. I’m so glad that with Him we never have to try to be or do anything on our own!
Hi Anna….
That is some great insight and revelation……Very profound if you come to think of it.
Rolain
Thank you Rolain! It was definitely a revelation to me when I realized it myself. 🙂 Hope you have a blessed Monday!
“An example of a woman I should strive to be.” ~ Amen! A woman “we” should strive to be 🙂 Thank you for this Anna 🙂
You are welcome Mae! Hope you have a lovely Monday! ♥
Freedom coming from being with Jesus, not trying to be something we are not. I like it.
Love your blog! So cool to see a fellow sister in Christ pursuing His image via the internet. Check out my blog as well. I would love to hear what you think and have some commentary about living a live that glorifies Him.
ineveryfacet.wordpress.com
Stumbled across this post and I’ve read it twice now. I just love this. I’ve recently been married (well, a year ago) and I made a commitment to myself to apply Proverbs 31 to my life as much as possible now that I am a wife and probably a mother in the near future. I just loved reading your perspective! Great read!
Reblogged this on AndAllTheGlory and commented:
Check out this great post! Very inspiring!