P31 WOG

Today, I’m going to share my devotional time with you. Funny how being snowed in, having all four children and my hubby home, the Lord leads me to read Proverbs 31:10-31 – thus P31 WOG – Proverbs 31 Woman of God!

10 [b]A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. 19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

To be honest, sometimes I don’t even want to read this passage of scripture. It seems like quite a lot to live up to! Let’s see, this lady was not only an amazing wife and mother, she was a: manufacturer, importer, manager, realtor, farmer, seamstress, upholsterer and merchant. She had amazing abilities, strength and character. However, her value did not come from her achievements. Her strength and character came from her reverence for God. This passage of scripture list all that makes her beautiful, but it never once mentions her outward appearance. Her beauty comes from her character!

For many years of my life I really believed that this exact P31 WOG was what I was supposed to be. I was to be working all the time, doing everything without asking for help, always be strong. I had to have everything “perfect” for my husband; never a dirty piece of laundry, never a dirty dish, floor or bathroom, gourmet meals every night, always thinking and creating the “perfect” home. I believed that in order to be the woman God wanted me to be that my children had to always be “perfectly” dressed and perfect in appearance and behavior, never out of sorts. I wanted to DO EVERYTHING so that my family would be able to claim Proverbs 31:28-29 “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” I really believed that in order to be the woman that God wanted me to be, I had to be some kind of Super Woman! Truthfully, this is still a struggle for me at times.

For those of you that visited my home even three years ago, you knew that my house was always in perfect order! I would even have a mini panic attack if my neighbors knocked on my door and my house, kids or myself were not in “perfect” order. Well, if you knocked on my door this snowed in morning and came for a visit, what would you find? You would find all of us still in our jammies at almost lunch time, children’s rooms with covered floors, pillows & blankets spread out all over the living room, dirty dishes in the sink (even the pan from last night’s dinner still on the stove), piles of dirty laundry….I think you get the picture! I found a sign not too long ago that I love “Please excuse the mess, the children are busy making memories”!

Does that make me a failure as a P31 WOG? With years of maturity and a better understanding of what the Lord wants from me, I am still learning that the woman described in this passage is not the model of activities that I am to be; she is an inspiration to be all that I can be. There are not enough hours in the day to do all that is said in this scripture by one woman in just one 24 hour period. The Proverbs 31 woman is a life model; to be a woman of God that seeks to give her BEST to the family He has blessed her with. I am learning that being a P31 WOG is to take care of my family, their needs and to take good care of our home, but I am learning even more that taking care of their hearts is most important! My family does not need perfection; they need a wife and mom striving to be the best she can be in her devotion to the Lord first. They need for me to take care of all the ”things” in life, clean laundry matters; but what matters most is not only being the best I can be in work, but also being the best I can be in play and in rest!

So for today, as outside we have been hit with a historic Arkansas snow storm and the inside of our house looks like we have been hit by an F5 tornado, my prayer is that I will be a P31 WOG! I pray that I will be all that I can be, not by what I do, but by who I am! I pray that the Lord will help me meet the needs of my husband and children with excellence but meet the needs of their hearts first and foremost!

“Father God, please help me today to be the best wife and mother I can possibly be, the woman you created me to be. Help me to be the wife and mother that my family needs. Help me to let go of perfection and cling to participation in the lives of my husband and children. Please help me today to let go of the small ‘stuff’ and focus on helping to build their characters. Lord, help me to be an example that points my family directly to you. Help me to be a woman worthy of my amazing family!”

From my heart to yours,

Holly