There has been much discussion about the Proverbs 31 woman. Some of those discussions have been good, and some of them bad. Whatever the outcome however, many of those discussions and analyses have often led people to believe in a stereotype. Instead of seeing the Proverbs 31 woman for who she is in scripture, they see her as a representative of an idea perpetuated by our culture. To some she is a super hero or Wonder Woman. She has the perfect family, the perfect marriage, and the perfect reputation all nestled into the perfect home. To others she is the antithesis of the feminine movement. She is a symbol of weakness under the overbearing rule of her husband. And yet to others she is simply an imaginary woman. She is just a literary device or a nice thought written in the Proverbs never having any impact on the manner in which a twenty-first century woman should conduct herself. In Scripture however, she is a woman of virtue and noble character. She is a woman who was taken seriously by the people of Israel. She was admired and respected. She is a woman fit to be queen. She was a woman inspired by God.
Even though the Proverbs 31 woman was not an actual woman, her qualities are imbedded in the lives of the women of Israel. Each woman mentioned in the Bible is there for a reason. Her decisions and actions made a difference in the lives of the Israelites or impacted the future for Christianity. However, for all of the honor bestowed upon these women in scripture, they are also a lot like us. They faced trials and temptations similar to ours. They desired love and accomplishment. They were sinners and doubters. So what has set them apart? How did their stories end up in the Word of Life? They feared the Lord. They are the Proverbs 31 Woman.
The fear of the Lord can cause women just like us to overcome our doubts and insecurities in order to do great things for Him just like the women of the Bible. That fear also drives us to be like the Proverbs 31 woman – the epitome of womanhood. God made women to be a beautiful, captivating part of his creation. Just like the women of scripture showed the excellent nature of the Father in Heaven by aspiring to be the woman God envisioned, we too can proclaim His excellencies by becoming a Proverbs 31 woman.
Christa Bryant
To learn more about the Proverbs 31 woman, check out my new book The Treasured Woman at
http://www.amazon.com/The-Treasured-Woman-Profiles-Proverbs/dp/1941972551