We are going to be going on a hunt. On a hunt for something that seems to be lost, amidst a generation of women who have lost their way. They have lost their way in identifying where the strength of womanhood lies.
It does NOT lie in the ability to be as much like a man as you can. On some kind of "equal footing" or the ability to do whatever they can do.
What God has designed for women is FAR more unique - FAR more special - than simply striving to be like a man!
The key to being the kind of woman described in Proverbs 31, is found in the opening question...
"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."
It does NOT lie in the ability to be as much like a man as you can. On some kind of "equal footing" or the ability to do whatever they can do.
What God has designed for women is FAR more unique - FAR more special - than simply striving to be like a man!
The key to being the kind of woman described in Proverbs 31, is found in the opening question...
"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."
Proverbs 31:10
What do you think of when you think of someone virtuous?
Does the word itself conjure up "Austen-esque" ladies of stature in the community?
Do you think of this?...
...because we ALL polish our shiny, metal things...right?....*aherm*
What about this one?....
because, if you look at the meaning of "virtuous", this is something that comes up! Army, valour and strength, are 3 of the parts mentioned in the root meaning for "virtue"!!
Also mentioned are a force...
(sorry, I couldn't resist, and it came up when I Googled "image of a force"....*grin*)
and wealth....
So many concepts related to being virtuous, not the ones you would necessarily think of first!
We would tend to think along the lines of...
"Moral excellence and righteousness; goodness."
Something good...an attribute that is to be desired, such as kindness, gentleness, or frugality!
But, also listed in the definitions is this...
I think this sums it up in a great way. What we do as a woman...as a wife and mother...should be that we are an effective and powerful woman!
In the realm that we we have been given to rule, we must be effective and powerful! No mean feat, really! No image of a weak little woman, delicately dusting her ceiling. Ohhhhhhh no! We are to be a FORCE! We are to do our job with effort. With energy.
And what is the definition of "effective"?....
So, we must be women who accomplish what we set out to do, with effort and energy!
Phew! What a challenge! Simply being gentle, kind and lovely seems quite tame, next to the expectation and challenge of actually ACCOMPLISHING the tasks we set out to do, AND doing it with all our effort. Am I the only one who never feels like she gets it all done, and if it is, it's not quite the way she hoped it would be? Please tell me I am not!?
SO, before we even get to looking at WHAT we should be doing, I feel like I am failing at the definition, never mind anything else! *blushes*
Again, let me clarify that life doesn't always work out perfectly...things come along that prevent us from doing things quite how we intended to.
But, that is not the main issue. Are we even AIMING and TRYING to do our best, with every ounce of our being? I think THAT is our challenge as we begin to look at this woman. Can WE find this woman in ourselves? Can we find this woman of power and purpose, as we look at our own hearts? Even a glimmer of a reflection?...an attempt to be a woman like this?
Let's be aiming to hunt down and BE that virtuous woman, as we look at what the Lord teaches us about her.
Take up the challenge to be a woman of power and purpose, as we serve the Lord in our homes!
...because we ALL polish our shiny, metal things...right?....*aherm*
What about this one?....
because, if you look at the meaning of "virtuous", this is something that comes up! Army, valour and strength, are 3 of the parts mentioned in the root meaning for "virtue"!!
Also mentioned are a force...
(sorry, I couldn't resist, and it came up when I Googled "image of a force"....*grin*)
and wealth....
So many concepts related to being virtuous, not the ones you would necessarily think of first!
We would tend to think along the lines of...
"Moral excellence and righteousness; goodness."
Something good...an attribute that is to be desired, such as kindness, gentleness, or frugality!
But, also listed in the definitions is this...
" Effective force or power:"
I think this sums it up in a great way. What we do as a woman...as a wife and mother...should be that we are an effective and powerful woman!
In the realm that we we have been given to rule, we must be effective and powerful! No mean feat, really! No image of a weak little woman, delicately dusting her ceiling. Ohhhhhhh no! We are to be a FORCE! We are to do our job with effort. With energy.
And what is the definition of "effective"?....
"Having an intended or expected effect."
So, we must be women who accomplish what we set out to do, with effort and energy!
Phew! What a challenge! Simply being gentle, kind and lovely seems quite tame, next to the expectation and challenge of actually ACCOMPLISHING the tasks we set out to do, AND doing it with all our effort. Am I the only one who never feels like she gets it all done, and if it is, it's not quite the way she hoped it would be? Please tell me I am not!?
SO, before we even get to looking at WHAT we should be doing, I feel like I am failing at the definition, never mind anything else! *blushes*
Again, let me clarify that life doesn't always work out perfectly...things come along that prevent us from doing things quite how we intended to.
But, that is not the main issue. Are we even AIMING and TRYING to do our best, with every ounce of our being? I think THAT is our challenge as we begin to look at this woman. Can WE find this woman in ourselves? Can we find this woman of power and purpose, as we look at our own hearts? Even a glimmer of a reflection?...an attempt to be a woman like this?
Let's be aiming to hunt down and BE that virtuous woman, as we look at what the Lord teaches us about her.
Take up the challenge to be a woman of power and purpose, as we serve the Lord in our homes!
You are not!
ReplyDeletenot a virtuous woman?...tell me about it! :-0
ReplyDeleteWoohoo and Amen :-) encouraging and challenging all at once, can't wait to hear more
ReplyDeleteNo - I meant you are not the only one who feels like she never gets it all done and that what she does do isn't as she hoped it would be!
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, why do we seem to get further, rather than nearer, to how it should be, as we get older?
phew! lol I wondered how obvious my failings were! :-D
ReplyDelete