Well hello Lovelies! February is a month that is known for its celebration of Black History Month and Valentine’s Day. During this month we honor the pioneers that have paved the way for us as women, and we celebrate the love for ourselves or allow ourselves to be celebrated by a significant other. There are many pioneer women in the Bible as well. Women that we admire and have grown to love. Typically the woman we are talking about this month is one that is mostly mentioned around Mother’s Day. If you haven’t figured it out already, this month we are talking about the Proverbs 31 Woman!

I have read this passage in the Bible so many times and thought “Ummm, she does too much, I kinda don’t wanna be like her. I’ll look for someone that isn’t so intense!” I’m not exactly the get up before everyone, cooking breakfast type. However, I tried the Proverbs 31 Project by Melissa Callaway. It is literally a year-long challenge with things to do to push towards the goal of being the Proverbs 31 woman of this age. I stopped around the 4th month; Right when she gave me that workout plan! I rebuked that because they did not have gyms then. It says she was strong, not skinny, just saying. Reading it sounded very intimidating and unrealistic, then I found The Passion Translation. I absolutely encourage you to check it out on the YouVersion App and study in comparison with other versions to get greater understanding. Many think that Proverbs 31 only applies to being a good wife and mother, but being a Proverbs 31 Woman benefits our roles at work, business, at school, at church, and with friends. No one is exempt from needing to have good character. This woman was one of wisdom, strength, and virtue. The people around her were beneficiaries of the woman she was! Now, who wouldn’t want to be a woman of that caliber??

The verses about the virtuous woman start at Proverbs 31:10. In the Passion Translation, verse 10 says “Who could ever find a wife (woman) like this one-she is a woman of strength and mighty valor. She is full of wealth and wisdom. The price paid for her was greater than many jewels.” This lets us know that she has great value. She has been cultivated by spending time with God and has gained strength and wisdom. She has wealth, not just monetary, but as you read, you see that she is rich in relationships, favor, love, and honor. One of my favorite verses in this version is verse 14. It says “She gives out revelation-truth to feed others, she is like a trading ship bringing divine supplies from the merchant.” To me, this sounds like her mouth spews honesty and virtue because she is the trading ship and she brings divine wisdom, revelation, and understanding from the merchant, which is God! This shows us that she is not for the foolery! She had to keep her well pure.

This woman is not selfish, she reaches out to those in need and extends generosity. She is prepared for the future, this means being strategic about her next moves. Lazy is not her portion, as she proactively searches out the needs of her family. She looks good, and so does her family. Her husband and children honor her. She is a teacher, not just to her family, but she is generous with the wisdom that God has given her. The light on her life is infectious and makes others want to do whatever she did to get whatever she has! She is mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally available for her family. Her husband values and trust her to govern her areas of expertise because of the wisdom she holds. I gained a deeper revelation of this amazing woman and realized that she has many qualities and traits that I aspire to master!

Her value, fragrance, and oil are priceless! Not just anyone can afford what she has to offer! Ladies, we must protect our oil; Not everyone deserves it! This stands true in romantic and platonic relationships. God has called us priceless, precious jewels! Our oil can’t be duplicated. You know how two people can have on the same fragrance and they each smell different? Because they have different body chemistry! What I have won’t necessarily work for you and vice versa! Doesn’t that make you feel special? The fragrance you carry is specific to you! You work harder to protect something when you realize that you are the only one that can provide it! Beauty and charm are nice, but your fragrance adds substance and depth.

The Proverbs 31 woman was actually a portrait of the ideal woman meant to be “fit for a king.” However, these should be life goals. These qualities and characteristics keep us closer to God and draw others because they feel Him by just being in our presence. We will not get to this point by just reading books or going to conferences;We get there by understanding our true identity, cultivating our relationship with God, and hiding His word in our hearts. Psalms 119:11 says “I have hidden your word in my heart so I might not sin against you.” When we know our standard, we at least make a conscious effort to do better. She had the heart of God. She was in a place where He poured out His heart concerning her directly to her. She was an investor. She invested her time, energy, and resources to serve God and those around her. This ladies, is a phenomenal woman.

I am a believer that when we ask God for something, He often answers us with an opportunity. We don’t have to aspire to be just like the Proverbs 31 Woman, however, I’m sure she possesses something we need more of. It could be “God I need to be more submissive.” Well, next time your husband makes a decision that is reasonable, but you will not enjoy, submit! That’s your opportunity! It may be “God I need to work on being so selfish.” When someone asks for some of your hot, salty McDonald’s fries, share!! That’s an opportunity! We get opportunities to grow in our character daily; from a micromanaging boss, a whiny kid, an unreasonable coworker, to an annoying mate. Y’all, people make it hard, don’t they? I know! There are many days I want to push someone down and hope they don’t get hurt! But those are opportunities, it’s up to us whether we accept the challenge or choose to stay where we are. Let’s take steps to grow and be better women for our community, jobs, ministries, friends, and our world! We are called to be change agents, so ask yourself “Am I changing my atmosphere for the good or bad?”

My prayer is that God brings those growth areas to our attention. That we don’t take offense, but allow it to bother us enough to change! I pray that we will continue to seek Him for how we should handle our opportunities to grow and enhance the women we are. I pray that He would give us grace and strength to pursue those changes. I pray that our change will be visible by all and that it ignites a fire within others to grow! We don’t have to be the Proverbs 31 Woman, but we can use her as a role model to be greater wives, mothers, and women!