| 31 Days | Willing Hands
May I confess something to y'all? This challenge is harder than I expected. I figured that since I have studied the Proverbs 31 woman before and know the Scripture somewhat well that I would be able to sit down and effortlessly string together words that would inspire and encourage. But the more I look at these verses and sit down to put something together each day, I realize that God's word truly is living and active. Each time I read through the verse for the day, He opens my eyes to things I never noticed and emphasizes parts that I did not think to look at in previous studies. There is something so amazing to me about a God who does that- who takes the time to help His children know Him more by drawing them unto Himself. I just needed to share that with y'all.
At first glance, I want to pay attention to the latter portion of Proverbs 31:13. When I read "works with willing hands," I think about work as the labors we endure from nine to five on Monday through Friday. Work is not just what we do for payment, though. Work is labor. It can be chores around the house, rearing children, or the hard work of relationships. To work with willing hands means that we do not complain nor despise our work- even when our job sucks and we think we've got it bad. Instead, we work as unto the Lord, not man.
The former portion of the verse says that this woman "seeks wool and flax." In Biblical times (and now), wool and flax were used for material for clothing. Thus, this woman sought out the materials necessary to make her garments. As I dig deeper and learn about this verse, my temptation is to think, "That's great for her, but I can't sew a button on a pair of pants." And while I believe that the words of the Bible are all literally true, I do know that we are not called to emulate every word we read in this passage. The characteristic that we must take away from this verse is that of a good work ethic.
As a child, my parents instilled in me the power of a good work ethic. This value is something I am deeply grateful for and want to instill in my future children as well. Those who know the value of hard work are scarce, and yet it is what the Lord requires of us. May we be women who work hard and are not afraid to get our hands dirty.
The former portion of the verse says that this woman "seeks wool and flax." In Biblical times (and now), wool and flax were used for material for clothing. Thus, this woman sought out the materials necessary to make her garments. As I dig deeper and learn about this verse, my temptation is to think, "That's great for her, but I can't sew a button on a pair of pants." And while I believe that the words of the Bible are all literally true, I do know that we are not called to emulate every word we read in this passage. The characteristic that we must take away from this verse is that of a good work ethic.
As a child, my parents instilled in me the power of a good work ethic. This value is something I am deeply grateful for and want to instill in my future children as well. Those who know the value of hard work are scarce, and yet it is what the Lord requires of us. May we be women who work hard and are not afraid to get our hands dirty.