Being a Proverbs 31 woman is not easy. I’m not here faking the funk pretending that it is. Being completely honest, I can’t think of one thing she does that I’m consistently doing.
But I think part of understanding her is also focusing on what she’s not doing. She’s not out drinking and clubbing all night. She’s not sleeping around. She’s raising her kids and she’s working.
She’s spending a lot of time working and taking care of her household. She’s not wasting any time. Again, I’m not pretending that what she is is easy, but I think what she isn’t is attainable.
It looks to me like anything she can do to grow in wisdom, strength, and dignity is her focus. She’s also business savvy too. And how is she all this? How exactly is she “every woman” as Whitney Houston might say?
She fears the Lord. Ding ding ding. There’s the formula. Fear of the Lord.
As women, we read this and think she’s perfect, however, I’ve yet to see perfection as a description of her. Sure, she’s got it going on, but I don’t see flawless as an adjective in this passage or a requirement.
What I do see is that a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. She may not get it all right like we think, but she gets the most important thing right, and that’s her relationship with God. And for all of us, once that’s in order, everything else will be too.
So, nothing against the song, but at the end of the day, I’m not trying to be every woman. I’m just trying to be a Proverbs 31 woman, and I know just where to start.