Proverbs 31:31

"Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate" Proverbs 31:31

Well, after the previous 20 verses that we've explored, I should say that this woman deserves every drop of praise. Something to keep in mind as we finish this up is that this woman did not become the way she is overnight. It's not as if she left her parents and immediately was perfect in everything- constantly busy and working to honor her husband and family. In fact, this woman developed over time, and no doubt, learned from many, many mistakes. We know she is renowned for her provision of food and clothing. But how many disasters do you think she went through? How many garments were not fit to be worn before she got the hang of it. Or how many pots of stew did she have to toss before finding the one that her family liked.

One of the things I've enjoyed so much about studying these verses is that it shows the potential. It shows that with hard work, perseverance, and a firm foundation that I can achieve anything that I set my mind to. With the character traits of this woman in my mind I can do my best to apply them to my everyday life. That certainly doesn't mean an overnight transformation. Tomorrow I am not going to wake a new woman with endless energy and abilities that I didn't have today. Every day is still going to be a challenge to get myself motivated to get up from this computer chair or put down that book and do something productive.

It seems that for me, the study of this chapter in the Bible could not have timed out better. Our small group is just beginning a study on Time Management, which truly goes hand in hand with this wonderful woman. Our church is also doing a study on finances and opening up oneself to giving to God more. This woman embraced those in need- and I imagine that included her place of worship. I think by lumping all of this together, I'm going to be getting quite the education. But at the forefront of my mind as I study time and money management is going to be this wife of Noble character. How can I apply the lessons of time management to what this woman wants to teach me.

I have another verse here to keep in mind as I apply the lessons I've learned here.

"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
someone else, and not your own lips." Proverbs 27:2

I think this is important, because it's also a reminder to be humble. To not glorify the good things and the hard work I do, but to let my work speak for itself. Pride is not a character trait we found in this woman, and as I perhaps reach the point of attainment of one of the characters, it is important to remember where that came from. That is was God who blessed me with that ability, and not myself. May I keep the lessons of this Godly woman at the forefront of my mind and use it to help apply other important lessons to my life. May I become the woman that God wants me to be, and the woman that my husband and children need me to be.