Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman does not mean you have to be married or have kids. There are verses that mention how to be a good mother and wife, but it is not the point of Proverbs 31, and in some cases, preparing your heart for those things can help bring you closer to God. Working on becoming a Proverbs 31 woman is something that should be practiced daily, no matter where you are in your walk with God or in life.
PROVERBS 31: A BREAKDOWN
The following passage is Proverbs 31:10–31 in the New Living Translation. I used NLT because I think it simplifies the text and puts it in a language that we use in everyday life. If you want to see this verse in a different translation you can visit this page. This website is amazing, you should check it out regardless.
A Wife of Noble Character
10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13S he finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes.
22 She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29“There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
These 21 verses are examples of how we should behave as women of God. I’ll break it down into something a little easier to understand.
WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?
When I did my Bible study on Proverbs 31 I made a list of each verse and what it meant, below is what I noted for each verse:
10- VIRTUE
The first line begins by telling women they are precious and worthwhile. God calls us to be virtuous and capable. Recognize your own worth and see the value you have as a child of God. Remember that others were also created in the image of God and we have intrinsic value.
11- FAITHFULNESS
We are called to speak the truth and earn the trust of others. We are to be faithful and enrich not only our lives but the people around us as well.
12- GOODNESS
We are called to be good to our husbands and family. To cherish them and love them.
13- HARD-WORKING
God calls us to be hard workers, never lazy, and always improve ourselves.
14- PROVIDER
This verse talks about providing the family with food, cooking, and serving. This can be taken literally or as I see it, to care for and help your family.
15- EARLY RISER
God calls us to wake up before dawn (Maybe one of the hardest tasks for me) and prepare for the day. I see this as God calling us to be hard-working and purposeful with our time. I start my day in prayer and then prepare for the day.
16- BUSINESS SAVVY
This verse was one I had a hard time with. Many people read the Bible and think women should stay home and be housewives. While there is nothing wrong with that, the Lord also calls on us to work hard, earn an income and help our family. It is our job to pay attention to our world and take advantage of opportunities.
17- STRENGTH
Energetic and Strong. This can be your physical strength (working out, health), mental strength (being there for others when they need help), and spiritual strength (asking God for guidance and praying). We are called to do these things with optimism and energy.
18- ENDURANCE
Again, we are called to be hard workers. Not only that, but God asks us to ensure our dealings are well handled, even if it means staying up late. We are called to endure during hard times and to continue to work hard.
19- WELL-ROUNDED
This verse was another hard one for me. I decided that because verse 13 talks about wool and flax, this comparison calls for us to be well-rounded and understanding of many skills. God calls us to learn and grow and by learning different skills we can help our family.
20- CHARITABLE
We are called to help the poor and less fortunate. We are told to love our neighbors and this verse calls us to love those in need by welcoming them with open arms. I also think that has to do with not judging others.
21- PROVIDE AND TRUST
This verse has two key ideas. One is it is our job to provide for our kids and family, to keep them safe and loved. The second is trust in God and his plan. Even during hard times, trust in our work and his is key.
22- WELL DRESSED
This verse is interesting. God asks us to not be consumed by our looks, but here he tells us to be well dressed. The idea is to treat ourselves like we are worth it, which we are! We are told to dress well to present the success that we have made for ourselves and to love ourselves.
23- WIFE TO A GOOD HUSBAND
This verse is God telling us to marry a man who is a good husband and a good leader. There are many places that talk about marriage in the Bible. I think this verse reiterates that God calls us to marry a man with the same faith as ourselves. Someone who loves God will be a good husband and leader.
24- WORKING
Another verse calls us to work for an income. God wants us to provide for ourselves and our families. He asks us to sell our work and earn a living wage.
25- HONORABLE
This is one of my favorite verses. We are called to fear nothing but God. We are told to be honorable and strong and to carry ourselves as graceful women. We are also told to laugh — be happy and optimistic.
26- WISE
We are asked to think before we speak and to always do so with kindness. It is asked that we be wise with what we say.
27- ACTIVE
Laziness is not an option. God calls us to take care of our homes (and families) and to work hard for them.
28- PRAISEWORTHY
We are promised thanks and praise for our hard work. We are asked to take these praises and give back to our families.
29- EXCELS
With God in our hearts, we can do achieve anything we set our sights on. We are told we will succeed and excel.
30- GOD-FEARING
We are called to fear the Lord. He is the only one we should fear, and through that fear, we will come to know him and accept him into our hearts. We are told to live in a way that honors God.
31- REWARDED
The last verse tells us that we will be praised for our hard work and dedication. God promises to recognize our faith.
HOW TO APPLY PROVERBS 31 TO YOUR LIFE
Obviously, that is a lot to take in. We are not perfect, nor does God expect us to be. Becoming a Proverbs 31 woman means working hard to become a woman who honors God. To simplify this even more I have a list of things I try to do daily/weekly/monthly that helps me become closer to God.
- Remember that you are worthy of God’s grace and love.
- Be truthful and faithful.
- Love others, be good to others and pray for others.
- Work hard in everything you do.
- Wake up early and start the day with God. Pray every day, throughout the day.
- Study and learn. Enrich your life with knowledge and understanding and become well-rounded in your skills.
- Take advantage of opportunities in business, help others, and care for others.
- Be strong and endure hard times. Put your faith in God to help you when you feel lost.
- Love and honor yourself; dress well, exercise, behave well.
- Find friends, partners, spouses, and community who shares your values and love of God.
- Fear God and honor him in all things.
- Remember that you are praise-worthy and will be rewarded for your work, even if that reward is just knowing you have served well.
Proverbs 31 has been one of my favorite studies so far. I took it to heart and I work every day at meeting God’s expectations of all women. I hope this helped you understand what we are called to do and how to achieve it. Even when we fail, God’s grace is there to help us get back on track. Pray over everything and work hard.
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