Mrs. Proverbs 31: Seriously?

Hello, and welcome back to the blog!

Today we're continuing the Proverbs 31 series we started last week. (Check out all the posts in the series here!)

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The Proverbs 31 woman comes up at some point in all ladies' Bible study groups, and in every group I've ever been in she seems to inspire more despair, overwhelm, and frustration than any variety of motivation toward self-improvement.

"We have to remember that she's not real, she's just some man's idea of a perfect wife," we'll say.

"This doesn't really apply to today, it was written so long ago," someone adds.

"Life is just different for us now than it was for women then, and there's no way we could do any of this," the left side chimes in.

"God understands," finishes the right side.

And that week's study meeting ends with everyone deciding the Proverbs 31 woman is for the birds. We can't seriously be expected to Proverbs 31-ify our lives today. "This was great, see y'all next week."

We look at the scriptures and we say, "Seriously?!" 

And then there's always the do-good in the corner that seems to be crushing life, and she thinks we all just need to try meal prepping and getting up an hour and a half earlier and we could all be Proverbs 31 women, too.

Let's talk about it.

How deep do we dive? I think there are levels to the Proverbs 31 scriptures, as there are with all scriptures. 

There's an overarching summary we can take away from The Impressive Wife, some stuff in the middle as we dig a little deeper, and a whole ant hill of granular details buried underneath.

I think ladies' study groups full of overwhelmed women with sinking feelings in their stomachs are starting too granular. If it's that stressful, we need to pull back and look at the summary. 

We're not ready for the details if we can't accept the big picture, joyfully or with a fake-it-till-you-make-it attitude. So let's step back. Let's stop looking at aaaaalllll the things the Proverbs 31 woman is doing in a day and see the big picture.

The Proverbs 31 woman is a God-fearing woman juggling many plates in caring for her family by whatever means necessary. That's it. That's my summary of the big picture.

Last week we talked about the idea of the Proverbs 31 woman being a homemaker instead of a career woman. Does that mean that every working wife and mother is out? No chance of ever being considered a Proverbs 31 woman in her home?

Nope.

First of all, scripture points again and again to work being good for us, and I think that includes the work of both homemakers and working women. While I do think that women are called to attend to the details of their homes, I don't think that necessarily excludes them from having a job. 

Second of all, mothers and wives working full- or part-time jobs often fit the big picture.

So many of the ladies in study groups looking at the Proverbs 31 woman with skepticism aren't seeing a clear picture of themselves in the mirror. Those same women are actively furthering their relationship with the Lord, juggling many plates, and looking to the needs of their families. 

There is always room for improvement in each of us. We could always deepen our relationship with Christ, do more for our communities and more for our families, be better versions of ourselves in some way, and work harder at whatever job is set before us. Fitting the big picture is a starting point, not the finish line. (For both homemakers and working women!)

So in response to, "Seriously?" my answer is, "Seriously." 

Let's give ourselves a chance. God's Word has never failed us, and Proverbs 31 is no different. 

All the love,

Emily

P.S. Stay tuned for a post on some of the granular details!

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