Proverbs 31 - Modeling Humility

The first few devotions for this advent season are based on Proverbs 31. Continuing on from yesterday where we talked about being a virtuous woman, today we will talk about modeling humility.

From the email these words:

Modeling Humility

Does being a true woman mean you're perfect? Hardly! A true woman is simply different from most, but it's those differences that are the secret of her great influence.*

• It's more important that you model humility than that you model perfection.
• As you allow yourself to be made and molded into the image of God's kind of woman, you will function at peace and at rest-not without problems-but with joy.
• Do you want your husband to be a man of virtue, a noble man, a man of spiritual strength and character? Then set out not to change him, but to be the kind of woman with the kind of character that you want him to have.

Once again, here is that passage in Proverbs 31, yes...read it again! :)

10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29"Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

Can you see how busy she is?
Can you see how she lives out her fear of the Lord, her love for her husband and family?

I find it interesting how the world portrays a godly woman and how a godly woman is portrayed here. The world would have us think that a godly woman is this wimpy thing who runs around only doing what her hubby would allow her to do, who has no mind of her own. But this passage shows us how UNTRUE that portrayal is.

Look at this woman! This is what GOD calls us to.
This woman runs her household, she's a business woman, she helps the poor, she uses her wisdom intelligently when speaking to others, she does so much. She is not a wimpy woman!

This woman fears the Lord and it governs her life. As Nancy says here,

A woman who has godly character is a strong woman. ........

She’s able. She’s valiant. She’s a woman of valor.

Now the New King James Version that I just read says this is a virtuous wife, but the word translated wife there, in some of your translations reads “woman,” and that’s also an acceptable translation.

.... But whether married or single, you and I can be excellent, virtuous women.

....You’ll notice what’s absent from this description largely, and that is physical traits. Now we’ll talk later in the series about why that may be absent, but we don’t know that she was a woman of wealth. We don’t know what kind of background she came from. We’re seeing the priority here in selecting a mate—and you need to be teaching this to your sons—is to look for a woman who has a heart for God..

Take that love you have for God, that fear of the Lord that you have within and use it...use it to be changed by God. Pray to him to continue his process within to make you into a Proverbs 31 woman. Know that "you aren't all there yet", but be willing to be changed by the one you should be loving the most. It's the heart that matters most, the rest will follow. Love God more.

This is what I'm learning.... to love God more.
It's hard. It means making choices sometimes. But I need to love God more, love myself less and show that love to others.

This is how I will be transformed to be more like this Proverbs 31 woman who seems so unattainable most days...but I will be.