Proverbs 31.....Superhero or TOTAL Beat Down?
It is Sunday morning and we are leaving for spring break and I am not going to lie to you; I am SPENT! Trey has been gone for 10 days and each kid had more than the norm AND I have to get the entire family ready for our mission trip, all the while still doing my daily routine of dance (thank God for this), get Grandpa, groceries, clean, laundry, walk the dog, cook dinner, etc. etc. etc. To say I am tired is an understatement. But by the ironic will of God when I got up this morning would you believe my quiet time included the Proverbs 31 woman.
If I am being honest, she is a total beat down for someone like me! She is a Domestic BADASS, who has her entire life put together! She gets up in the middle of the night, makes all meals for her family (and maids), and she gardens with bare hands on top of everything else. Verse 17 says she girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. To me that says she works out and keeps her body in check. She stays up late making clothes on an ancient spindle, feeds the poor, and reaches out to the needy. OH and those clothes she makes, she sells them too and makes money! She is IMPOSSIBLE to live up to, however with a little study time I was surprised by what I found.
Proverbs 31 is a poem meant to explain women of strength. Not a lesson for women on how to land a man, get married to him, have kids and take up the loom. The subject of this poem is a woman of noble character. It is meant to be a tangible expression of what wisdom looks like: Bravery, faithfulness, guts, kindness, grace. A woman of valor. The poet uses flowery words to basically describe the achievements of an upper class Jewish wife, keeping her household functioning daily, on top of managing and investing money, feeding her family, and preparing for each and every season of life. It's purpose is to draw attention to the overlooked glory of the everyday. I realized when I got deeper in to my study it is not meant to be interpreted as a job description, its purpose is to celebrate women. A strong, dignified, multi-talented, caring woman who is an individual in her own right.
The target audience for Proverbs 31 is a man, and not so he can go have his checklist of what to expect from his future wife. I learned from Rachel Held Evans that in ancient times jewish men memorized this poem and sang it as a song of praise to the women in their lives; wives, daughters, sisters, aunts, cousins, friends, all women! Memorized it and sang it to them! I can't imagine my husband doing this, but oh how I would relish in it if he did! And another fun fact is the only verse that has ANY kind of instruction in it is a verse directed at men! It says: “Praise her for all her hands have done.” All these years I have looked at this passage as a command to women and not as an ode to women! What a difference those two words are. Command means: give an authoritative order, Ode means: a lyric poem in the form of an address to a particular subject. What a refreshing difference. Proverbs 31 is a song through which a man offers a woman praise it is NOT a task list through which a woman earns it.
Proverbs 31 celebrates women of Valor. I love that! Valor: great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle. This poem is meant to celebrate who we are as women! Not who we or anyone else thinks we should be or do. It is meant to say here is how we praise and celebrate a woman- a woman of Valor. It is meant for men to affirm the women in their lives. It is meant for women to affirm the women in their lives. It is meant for us to know as a woman no matter how small and insignificant the task may be do it with valor. If you are a stay at home mom, make breakfast with Valor! If you are a barista at Starbucks, make the grande latte with Valor! If you are a teacher, multiply with Valor! If you are a doctor, save with valor or lawyer, argue with Valor! Whatever it is, as a woman, this poem reminds us to do it with Valor!
Look, the bible is not a blueprint or a list of bullet points of how to live, it is basically a collection of stories that look like real life. I promise you, you DO NOT have to be a proverbs 31 women to be a woman of valor. All you have to be is you and all you have to do is love! Love is what it means to be biblical-love is our highest calling. Love God and Love thy neighbor. Love-that my friend is a woman of valor. It doesn't have to be some chic that makes her own clothes and kneads her own bread, although if you do that, make sure to do it with valor! So as I sit here reflecting on my study, I sit here feeling like a BADASS! That's right girls! A BADASS! I know I love my family, I love my friends, I love my neighbor, and I love God and now reading the poem I realize that is all it takes to be a Proverbs 31 woman!
xo,
Amy
Hello, World!
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