“Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.” Proverbs 31:10, NLT
Article from the Every Woman’s Bible
While reading Proverbs 31, many of you, like me, have probably cringed at what appear to be standards for women—and impossible ones at that. But we miss the point because the poem’s original structure is lost to us in translation, and because we are not all wives. But each of us can find inspiration from this woman to live with God-honoring excellence.
Imagine an older man sitting down three thousand years ago to write something to honor his wife on some special occasion: Starting with the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, he bases his writing on his mother’s teachings (31:1). He creates twenty-two phrases that describe the woman he loves with a lot of flourish and perhaps a bit of exaggeration.
Keep in mind he wrote this in a society that expected all women to be wives, mothers, and in charge of their households. How might we apply a similar idea today? Perhaps we need a new acrostic to honor a WOMAN.
She is:
Wise in business and at home,
Open to listen to others,
Mindful of those less fortunate,
Attentive to God’s Spirit
Neighborly—a friend to all she meets.
This, too, is an ideal that none of us entirely fulfills. So, how do you be “a virtuous and capable” (31:10) you? Try asking God how he sees you. Write an acrostic using the letters of your name. Using Scripture, pen how you are God’s beloved image-bearer and steward of creation (Genesis 1:26-28), daughter of God and heir to the Kingdom (Romans 8:17), gifted and called to serve God (Philippians 3:12-13), and more!
The good news is that God knows you. He calls you by name. And his Word shows us all how to live as women “who fear the Lord” and “will be greatly praised” (31:30).
Reflection Questions
How is God shaping you into a “virtuous and capable” person?
Does reflecting on how God sees you change how you view yourself?
ELIZABETH GLANVILLE, PhD, is retired faculty from Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Mission and Theology. She is an international teacher on missions and leadership and chaplain for a local police department and her retirement community.