A Godly Woman
God paints a beautiful picture of what
constitutes a virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. In other words, God reveals what
constitutes a psychological, physical, and spiritually healthy woman. When a
woman understands who she is in life, and the value she can give to others, she
will know who she is in her Creator’s eyes. Her identity in her Creator will give
a woman value and self-worth. She will be able to handle any situation she
faces in life because she will know and
experience the fact that she is never alone. Even if others fail her, God will
never leave her nor forsake her. He is always by her side (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Being a godly, virtuous woman, is the most
precious commodity on earth. Her life will become more precious than any wealth
she can accumulate. She does not base her relationships with her beauty, charm, or abilities. The foundation of her
relationships rest on God and the desires He has for her life. Her husband and
family will see the richness of her relationship with God, and praise her for
her faithfulness. She will be trusted to bring good, not harm, in all of her
relationships; family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and community. She will
become a shining light of God’s goodness in all the days of her life (Proverbs
31:10-12, 30; Matthew 5:14).
A godly woman’s love for family gives her the
desire to not only bring security into the household, but also to love, cherish
and take care of her family. There are debates on whether a woman should stay
home to look after her family or focus on a
career. However, God never declared that a woman should only be a
homemaker. In Proverbs 31:13-21, a virtuous woman is not sitting at home,
cleaning and waiting for her husband to come home. She is busy with her career. She governs her household, is
a spinster, plants and cultivates her vineyard, and manages her earnings,
making sure she always makes a profit.
The debate concerning whether a woman should
stay home or not should be left to the woman and God. God has created
every individual equally, yet uniquely. God has a plan for all women, and no
one in society, nor church has the right to tell a woman whether she should be
a homemaker or not. Through the ages, many societies
and churches have failed in recognizing the equality of women. A woman must
align herself with a church and community that respects her as an individual
and sees her as an equal productive part of their community. In God’s eyes, a
woman is equal, unique, and able to accomplish anything He desires for her. She
is precious in His sight (Barber & Axinn, 1998, p.p. 21-22;
Perkins, 1988, p. 37, 44; Avishai, pp. 50-51).
Even during the time of Jesus, women were not
treated equally. They were seen as property at best. However, Jesus showed with
His actions and His words, that women are equal and unique. They are valuable
to Him as His creation, His children, and His helpers in reaching the world
with His love. The God of all creation made it clear that women are valuable in
His eyes. If the community or the church does
not recognize the equality and uniqueness of women, they will never receive the
blessing God has for those who become one in body and purpose (Moore, Briscoe, Wilson, Hart,
Hager, Wells, & LaHaye, 2003, p. 22).
Because of who she is in God, and how He sees
her, a virtuous woman will never be selfish. She will never be satisfied and
content with only focusing on the needs of herself and her family. She will
become a healthy productive member of her community
because she has the self-worth and value only God can give her. The busyness of
life will never keep her from seeing the needs of those around her. With the love of God in her heart, she reaches into
the depths of the darkness of her community, helping those in need. She
nurtures them, giving of her time, talent, and resources, to help the less
fortunate. She is the epitome of love. She is a vessel in the hands of her God,
nurturing those around her as He is nurturing her (Proverbs 31:13-20).
A godly woman is also always prepared, in good
times and bad, through any struggles of life. When others see her, they see a
strong woman, prepared for any obstacle. She is satisfied with life
because, in humility, she places her faith in God. He is her refuge, her place
of safety. Even in hard times, there is joy in her heart. She knows that God
will bless her work and will supply all
of her needs. Her husband’s community will see
him as blessed, for he is the husband of a godly woman (Proverbs 31:21-25;
Psalms 91:2; Isaiah 66:2; Philippians 4:19).
A godly woman is guided by the Holy Spirit as
she desires to serve God, her family, friends, coworkers, and community. She
thinks of others before herself. She never places her career or desires ahead
of her family. They are more important than climbing the Ladder of Success. There
is nothing wrong with success. However, whether man or woman, if career is more
important than family, than failure is imminent in the home. A woman must
cherish her family, desiring to nurture and love them, preparing her children
for a healthy productive life. Just as a husband is to love and cherish his
wife, a woman is also to cherish and love
her husband. Together, through love for one another, healthy self-esteem, and
knowledge of who they are in their Creator, they can build one another up. They can
raise their children to be healthy productive members of their society, respecting
and loving one another and their God (Allen
& Kalish, 1984, p.p. 380-381).
The words of a
virtuous woman come from God. She brings wise counsel to those who listen. She
raises her daughters to seek wisdom, so they too can be servants of God;
becoming the wife, mother, friend, neighbor, coworker, and the citizen in her
community, God desires. She teaches them to honor God, for the fear of the Lord
is the foundation of a life of wisdom. It is the foundation of a satisfied life. She
will be loved, respected, and praised wherever she goes, for she is a godly
woman. God’s picture of a virtuous woman is a beautiful image of a life filled with
purpose and self-worth through every stage of her life. In her later stages of
life, she will be content, knowing she was faithful to her God, family,
neighbors, co-workers, and her society. She is a virtuous woman (Galatians
5:16; James 1:5; Proverbs 31:26; Proverbs 31:26; Proverbs 4:5-7; Titus 2:3-5;
Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 31:27-31).
