"An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain."
Proverbs 31:10-11 ESV
Wanting to understand the qualities and potential and identity that God has (or at least is wanting) given me always brings me back to Proverbs 31. There is a sense of pride when training yourself and desiring to become a Proverbs 31 woman. But not in a haughty way of arrogance, but of pride in the Living God, in his sanctification and holiness.
Is it truly attainable? Honestly, it's a very high bar, and I'm unsure if it's actually possible to be the wife (or husband) to this level of perfection and excellence. However, what I love about these verses is to understand more fully, how much potential I have, than what I actually see in myself. It's a glimpse in to how God made us as woman and all that we can achieve and create and do, and it's SO much greater than I ever imagined for myself. (What about you?) To get even a taste at what God has designed for us to do has blessed me with revelation and motivation for this year.
We start in Proverbs 31:10-11 where we are understand that, it's actually quite hard to find an excellent wife. She is more precious than jewels and gold and that stuff is rare... so we can only imagine finding a wife that is excellent. It's even more rare (and not to mention VALUABLE!).
An excellent wife is valuable. I'd hate to say commodity because in the modern age it sounds offensive, but my spirit does resonate with a good woman and wife being an extremely valuable commodity. Not in the sense that people should be sold, but in the sense that her worth and value are extremely immense and in fact, I'd love to believe priceless.
She actually makes her husband's life easier. She is goodness wrapped up in worth and warmth and value and trust and integrity. She provides something for her husband that is holy that truly only God can provide, but in a physical sense she also bears it - she brings peace.
He knows that he will not lack in anyway with this woman of excellence on his side, in his house, under his protection. He knows he can go out into the world and do what he needs to do to provide, and things will be taken care of at home. She is trustworthy. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and to me this is such a signal that her husband doesn't just TRUST in her, he knows, there is clear knowing that she is doing everything she can to provide in her own way for their household. He doesn't have to wonder what's going on while he's away, his heart already knows.
He can also trust her with everything. She is and does and will provide gain in his life. He can leave the home, the kids, the bank accounts, everything in her care, and she's going to steward them without him having to worry while he's going to work and doing the things he needs to do as a man-of-God to provide.
She Proverbs 31 woman provides something money can't even buy. Which is heart and head knowledge and understanding that she is a safe space for her husband and their household. And that she can be entrusted with not only the money and home, the things, but all that is more important that the worldly treasures, such as the actual treasures God provides, our children, our love for one another, and of course, first and foremost, her spirit in relation to God. She is good. She is good because she loves God, she loves her husband, and she can be entrusted with all things.
