THE IDEAL WOMAN
(Proverbs 31:10-31)
Many women let out a groan of frustration whenever they hear about the ideal woman of Proverbs 31. We feel exhausted just reading about all that she does! One explanation for her outstanding abilities is that she may not have been one woman but a composite portrait of ideal womanhood. Whether she was real or a composite, her virtuous principles are worth emulating today. Industrious, skillful, compassionate, sensible, cheerful, and loving, she exercised sound judgment and good business sense, respected her husband, and honored God. In short, the ideal woman portrayed traits that Proverbs advocates throughout the book.

One wonders if all women in that day had as much freedom as this woman, or if she had this freedom because of her wealth. Many clues tell us that she was a woman of wealth. She had servants, owned land, wore beautiful clothes, and had a husband who was a leader in the city. Because she and her husband were respected by the community, we can assume her freedom was not unusual, that other women also had this kind of freedom. They were not censured by the community for their roles; they were respected.

What does God want us to learn from this example of a godly marriage? Even though most of us don't have the kind of wealth described here or perhaps this kind of freedom, we can still emulate the ideal woman's strength of character. If someone wrote a "praise tribute" about you, what would you want it to say? You may want to select two or three traits you'd like to build into your life and then work on them.

It's interesting that Proverbs opens by telling us how to gain knowledge and wisdom: "Respect and obey the LORD! This is the beginning of knowledge. Only a fool rejects wisdom and good advice" (1:7). Appropriately, Proverbs ends with the example of a woman who honored the Lord—and the results that brought to her life. "Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the LORD deserves to be praised." (31:30). That's the kind of woman I want to be. How about you?

Proverbs 31:10-31
In Praise of a Good Wife
¹⁰A truly good wife is the most precious treasure a man can find!
¹¹Her husband depends on her, and she never lets him down.
¹²She is good to him every day of her life,
¹³and with her own hands she gladly makes clothes.

¹⁴She is like a sailing ship that brings food from across the seal.
¹⁵She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and for her servants.
¹⁶She knows how to buy land and how to plant a vineyard,
¹⁷and she always works hard.
¹⁸She knows when to buy or sell, and she stays busy until late at night.
¹⁹She spins her own cloth,
²⁰and she helps the poor and the needy.

²¹Her family has warm clothing, and so she doesn't worry when it snows.
²²She does her own sewing, and everything she wears is beautiful.

²³Her husband is a well-known and respected leader in the city.
²⁴She makes clothes to sell to the shop owners.
²⁵She is strong and graceful, as well as cheerful about the future.
²⁶Her words are sensible, and her advice is thoughtful.
²⁷She takes good care of her family and is never lazy.
²⁸Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says,
²⁹"There are many good women, but you are the best!"

³⁰Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the LORD deserves to be praised.
³¹Show her respect—praise her in public for what she has done.

These excerpts are from The Bible for Today's Christian Woman. This Bible is no longer in print. But new this month is the Woman's Life Bible, which includes the same great features for today's busy woman. Click here to purchase the Woman's Life Bible.

Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc. All rights reserved. Excerpted from The Bible for Today's Christian Woman, CEV, pages 731-733. Used by permission. For reprint information call 630-260-6200.