His Heart Trusts in Her

I came across a beautiful article this morning that I decided to share with all of you. It's from the March edition of Tabletalk Magazine, a ministry of R.C. Sproul. Read it here.

I've read a lot about the perfect Proverbs 31 woman. The woman who does it all and still manages to dress herself and her family in brilliant purple and scarlet. Men love her. Women want to be her.

But like many other women I've talked to, I've wondered, "How does she do it? Where does she find the time?" Some people claim that the Proverbs 31 woman is the "ideal" woman and not the realistic woman. They say being a Proverbs 31 woman is impossible. They say Proverbs 31 is simply poetry and it should remain as that.

Call me an idealist, but I believe otherwise. Yes, I'm not married nor do I have children. But, I believe that it is possible to be a Proverbs 31 kind of woman - married or not. What are the characteristics that set apart the Proverbs 31 woman? Taken directly from the above article, a Proverbs 31 woman is characterized by:

1. Her service
2. Her success
3. Her sacrifice
4. Her savvy
5. Her strength
6. Her supremacy
7. Her spirituality

In the article, the author writes that a wife possessing these strengths becomes one in whom her husband is able to confide in and trust. I agree with him. But, I want to add my own variation. I believe that as a single girl, it is possible to strive for and possess these same characteristics. In fact, I believe that working on these strengths as a single girl is the ingredient that makes it possible to be a Proverbs 31 wife in the future.

Young girls often think that marriage is the solution to all their problems. That as soon as they get married, they immediately become godly, wise and loving wives. They believe that things will miraculously fall into place. No more struggles. No more worries. Only love and romance. Sorry ladies, but reality check! If you are not a woman of noble character as a single girl, you will not be a woman of noble character as a married woman. Simple as that.

But you will say, how can I exhibit the strengths of a Proverbs 31 woman if I don't have a husband? How do I serve him, if I don't have a "him?" It's actually not very complicated. Think of all the men in your life. Your dad. Your grandpa. Your pastor. The guy leading your small group. Can you think of ways you can serve them? Be generous to them? Make their life easier? Maybe it's cooking dinner for your dad once a week. Maybe it's taking your grandpa to the doctors (and if you're Russian, translating for him!) Maybe it's clearing the table after a time of small group fellowship. Whatever you do, do it with joy and gladness without drawing attention to yourself. Do it in humility. The thing that sets apart the Proverbs 31 woman from other women is the spirit in which she does her work. Instead of demanding praise for herself, she looks to bring praise to her husband. The really neat thing is that when she does that, her husband comes back and praises her.  Win-win.

So ladies, whether you're single or married, let me encourage you to strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman. May this be true of you: "She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:12.