Rediscovering the Proverb 31 Woman - Clothed in Strength and Dignity

I can still remember the moment when I came face-to-face with a real Proverb 31 woman for the first time.

I was a struggling baby Christian, trying to figure out how I, a recovering daughter of the women’s movement, was ever going to learn to be quiet and subservient.

After all, that is what a Christian woman is - Right?

But, then I met her.

Sure, I had met other Christian women in church. But, there was something different about her.

She wasn’t a church mouse. But, she wasn’t bossy either.

God had clothed her in something I had never seen before – a Gentle strength.

She wore it well. And I wanted some of my own!

In today's society, the true meaning of feminine strength has gotten skewed. But God does not want you to feel confused. That is why He explains His vision of a strong woman in the powerful passage, Proverb 31.

"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies" (Proverbs 31:10).

Did you know that the word often translated as virtuous here actually means a lot more? The Hebrew word that God uses to set a standard for Christian women that still holds till this day is "chayil."

During this time in history, "chayil" would have been used to describe great armies and warriors! It is an adjective that means strong, mighty, and powerful!

Shocked? I definitely was!

As the Bible continues to describe God's ideal woman, it reiterates that "Strength and dignity are her clothing" (Proverb 31:25 AMP).

As a woman, God had given you a strength all your own. But what kind of strength is it?

Does the fact that you can make dinner, answer the phone, and change a dirty diaper all at the same time make you "chayil"? Is that the only strength and value that God puts in women?

Of course not!

Your strength and power does not come from how much you can accomplish in one day. It flows out of your relationship with your Heavenly Father.

Jesus taught this same truth to a woman named Martha over two thousand years ago. But it is just as true today.

Martha had a huge dinner that she was trying to prepare for the Lord. As she worked diligently, trying to make it as nice as possible, she became frustrated that her sister Mary was not helping her. Mary had decided to just sit down and enjoy the conversation!

But, when Martha questioned Jesus about it, she did not get the response she anticipated. He told her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it." (Luke 10:41,42 NLT)

Do you ever get so busy running around doing things for God, that you forget to spend time with God?

That time alone with God is indeed the very source of the Proverb 31 woman's strength. . "She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task]" (Proverb 31:17 AMP)

We could all spend more time girding ourselves up spiritually for the daily tasks that God has for us. More time sitting at His feet like Mary. Maybe time meditating in God's Word, or enrolled in a women's Bible study group.

As you make the time to sit at the feet of your Heavenly Father, He will clothe you in a strength and dignity all your own.