We have already learned (from Part 1) that this godly woman we learn about in Proverbs is a good wife, she is a hard worker, she has a generous heart and she uses her talents to help her family and serve God. It can already feel overwhelming to fit into her shoes, and we still have more! But with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). If we keep an open heart and pray and work diligently to be able to attain these characteristics, we will be blessed and it will be easier to live by them the harder we try.

The Godly Characteristics

Verses 25-27: “Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.”

Strength and Honor: She dresses herself with strength and honor. Her strength helps her family and is how she can carry on and do so much good throughout the day. Having honor brings blessings to herself and her family. If we do not have honor in our decisions, our activities and how we treat our family, our acts are pointless. Her strength and honor make it possible for her to look forward to the future. All that she has done for her family and for God will make sure to bring her a joyous life in the future.

Wisdom and Kindness: Her mouth speaks wisdom and kindness. When we speak wisdom and kindness, there is no room for gossip, back-biting, bringing others down or foolish words. When her kids or friends ask her questions, she can answer them with godly wisdom. When her husband asks her to do something, she can answer him with kind words instead of complaints. When she speaks of others, it is to bring them up, not down. This brings glory to her family and to God.

Attentive and Not Lazy: She is attentive to her family and she does not participate in idle behavior. She watches what goes on with her household. She can do the best she can to be aware of all that enters into her doors and try her hardest to not let sin in. She can make sure her family’s needs are met. She can be diligent to provide the emotional and physical nourishment that her household needs. She does not have time to be lazy. She does not participate in shallow activities. When there is a house to clean, food to cook, children to spend time with and husbands to love, she will not spend her time being idle, but look to others first.

The Family’s Blessing

Verses 28-29: “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.’”.

All her hard work has paid off. She has done everything in her power to bring blessings to God and her family. She had her priorities right and with God’s help, she was able to be the godly woman that she strived so hard to be. Her sweet and godly attitude and all her hard work has shown her family truly what kind of woman she is. She put God and then her family first above all else. She has selflessly sacrificed her time to do all that God has asked of her as a woman and to make her family as happy and comfortable in this life as possible. She truly lived as an example for her children to see what God expects of His children. Her husband praises her and views her above all women. He knows what a blessing God has given him in a wife that spends her life trying her hardest to fulfill what the Bible tells a wife to be. What a wonderful verbal blessing for this beautiful woman of God! She did not work to gain recognition, but it always feels so good to know that one’s diligence is noticed and appreciated. She is truly a blessed woman.

The Woman Worthy of Praise

Verses 30-31: “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.”

Women like to be charming and beautiful, but does one’s appearance really matter? In my study of the Proverbs 31 woman, I never read “she had beautiful skin tone and her figure was perfection.” We never get an explanation or picture of what this wonderful woman’s physical appearance was. If it was important, it would have been added. But the interesting thing is that when I think of this woman, I picture her as beautiful and graceful. Not because we know if she was physically attractive or not, but because of what a wonderful godly wife, mother and person she is! Charm and physical beauty will pass, but the fear of God seen in a woman is a truly beautiful thing and will bring her praise, from God and those around her. The fruits of what she does with her life will bring her blessings and praise. God does not care about physical fame or looks. He cares about the inner soul and what we do with the lives He has given us here on this earth.

As we strive to live like this Proverbs 31 woman, let us not get discouraged if it is hard. The more we try, the more we pray and the more we practice, it will get easier day by day. I am sure that this woman of God had days where she felt exhausted, but she did not let it discourage her enough to give up. We all want to bring glory to God and our families, so let us spend our days fulfilling God’s plan for women.

By Alicia Bookout
Alicia and her husband, Garrett live in Clovis, NM where Garrett is the pulpit minister for 16th and Pile church of Christ. They have one sweet two-year old daughter, Emma and a second little one due in February. Alicia is a stay-at-home wife and mother. They both graduated from the Bear Valley Institute of Denver.