A common misconception about the modern stay-at-home wife and mom is that the description is an oxymoron. It's not a modern thing. The 1950's, aprons and high heels, three home-cooked meals per day, and a wife who "knows her place" immediately pops into the head of many men and women alike. But, bear with me today as I prayerfully dissect the first half of Proverbs 31 and apply it to how many of us live in 2012.
Verse 10 begins with describing this woman as having noble character. Noble is defined as: of high moral or intellectual character; honorable; magnanimous. Synonyms for noble are lofty, grand, gentle, stately, sublime, and high-minded. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind to be described in those terms! It goes on to say, "she is worth far more than rubies." Verse 11 immediately goes into how her husband views her, "He has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value." The woman is described as adding positively to her husband's life. He is a better man because of his wife. Verse 12 goes on to say that, "She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." This concept goes back to a previous post where I mention the verse out of Matthew, encouraging us to lay down our wants and desires and to go after what God wants in each of us, a servant's heart. In my experience, your husband feels the most respected and loved when you are serving him. While we shouldn't do this to get something in return, God blesses a servant's heart. If your husband feels highly respected, he is much more likely to show you the love you so desperately desire from him. The Lord does not want us to see serving as a lowly position that is worth nothing. When Jesus was on this earth, "...He came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28 NLT) As Christians, we strive to live like Jesus. The life of a woman who chooses to devote her full-time profession to her husband and children is an honor to the Lord. Let's continue with the other ways in which this woman is described.
Verse 13 describes her as working with "eager hands." She is excited about her work, and looks forward in anticipation to what the day may hold. Verses 14 and 15 describe her providing food for her family (oh, how I wish we all had daily helpers as it states in the last part of 15, but alas, many of us must make serious budget-cutting choices for this life to become a reality!). I love verse 16. The wife of noble character does not merely sit in the background while all decisions are made by her husband. This verse describes her making monetary decisions for her family, and she then re-invests her earnings. In our family, all major monetary decisions are made together, but your husband should be able to trust you to make money choices that will bring some benefit to the family. Verse 17 describes a vigorously-working woman (similar to "eager" from verse 13). Verse 18, again about money, mentions that her trading is profitable, and she keeps watch on the affairs of the household at all times. We like to refer to me as the "house manager." I love that title, and I feel like it gives me some flexibility to decide the way our house will work the most efficiently, things I can put in place to make life easier on all three of us, and it gives me the responsibility to make sure things get done. A lofty calling indeed! Verse 18 discusses sewing and mending in the home. To be very honest, I have absolutely no interest (or talent) in sewing of any kind. Does this negate my roll as the Godly stay-at-home wife and mother? No! God clearly speaks about giving each person unique gifts and talents. Use those talents to bless your home and your family. If you need to run to TJMaxx to get a new pair of jeans when the old ones rip, I imagine that the Lord is just fine with that :-)
Verse 20 clearly defines this woman as helping the poor and the needy. It is not a suggestion, it is not an idea of something to do if you have a few bucks left over, but it is a command. Pray for ways and the resources to help those who are less fortunate than us. It is one of the easiest ways to show God's love. In verse 21, this woman has no fear that her family will suffer because she has prepared for all types of weather and circumstances. Eager and vigorous work are very useful in storing up provisions so that you may rest easy, knowing your family will be cared for. Finally, verse 22 reads, "She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple." I want to briefly focus on the latter part of this verse. Purple is considered to be a royal color. Why would God say that this is the color that the wife of noble character wears? Perhaps does he consider this profession to be royal? Think on that, meditate on that, and pray about this section of scripture, specifically the very last sentence.
While many professions are worthwhile, God-praising, and ministering to unbelievers in our world, the profession of staying at home with your children is one that is highly-esteemed by the Lord. Perhaps, you could only afford to stay home until the children are in school. Praise God for the opportunity. Whatever you are able to do for His glory, make every effort to do it. Tomorrow, I will be sharing the way that my husband and I prepared for me to stay at home. Prepared, you say? Didn't I just decide one day that this is how it would be? The simple answer, no. Any major life change takes prayerful preparation, open spousal communication, and usually, money problems handled. I can't wait to share our story with you. As always, thank you so much for reading along!
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