Titus Twosday...P31 Fears!

I have to ask this question. Does the Proverbs 31 woman bring thoughts of fear to your mind? Does she intimidate you? Is she the standard by which you seek and find yourself failing time and time again?

I do have to say I think every Christian woman has struggled with this thought. First off I need to say sister you are not alone! Let’s take a quick look at the woman described in this text.

Proverbs 31:10-31
The Woman Who Fears the LORD

10An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet
22She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her 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.
31Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

As I look at this verse, I see this woman handling business. I don’t know how many children she has or the type of chaos she experiences on a daily basis. But I can very clearly see what she is doing. Her husband trusts her to basically make things happen. She provides food and makes ready for the rough weather. She is selling and purchasing property. She is making things with her hands and then selling them for assistance within her home. Bottom line she is a busy woman with many talents and skills that she uses to provide for her family.

Here is the thing we don’t always get. Go back and look at the bold italics.

• She is far more precious than jewels.

• She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.

• Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.

• Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

A woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

• Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

The P31 woman is not really about all the things you can do in one day or week. It is about who you are! This woman is strong, faithful, diligent, supportive, giving and considerate. That is who she IS, not what she does. The things she does is a result of who she is! Am I making sense? I think we spend a lot of time trying to find the check list of things to do that we forget to simply be! But the truth is if you are in Christ you already are. Don’t allow this woman to cause you to fear, stumble or worry! The things you do are because of who you are.

Take sometime and examine your life. Ask yourself why do I DO this or that? Am I DOING something because I think I must do it for the favor of God, the praise of men, or to fulfill my Christian role/duty? What is the real deal? Search your own heart. In searching ask the Lord to reveal the true you to yourself. Ask Him to help you to just BE! It is the same with our relationship with Christ. We don’t do a whole bunch of things and then hope Christ will love us, receive us and accept us. It is the complete opposite. God loves, accepts and receives us in spite of us. He changes our heart and mind, and then He will cause us to do because of what already is.

I do pray this makes sense to you. It is very freeing to not compare yourself to every good thing every Christian woman does. The woman described in this text is a great woman who, like I said before is handling business. But the real question is to what purpose and for what is she doing these things. I would argue because of her relationship with Christ and the true value she had placed on her husband and family.
It is because she is that she does!