"She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, she plants a garden." (16)
"She designs gowns & sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops." (24)
Qualities:
Partner: a person with whom one shares an intimate relationship, someone who shares the burden
Entrepreneur: One who organizes, manages, & discovers ways of making a profit.
Contributor: To play a part in bringing about
Breakdown:
In my interpretation of Proverbs 31, both of the above verses describe the same 3 attributes of a godly woman. It is more common than not in this day & age for women to bring home a substantial, if not equal, paycheck. Women assume much of the responsibility of providing for their families. (For the record this responsibility truly should rest upon the man's shoulders, but that's an altogether different topic) Likewise there are a vast number of women whose contribution to the family can not nor is measured in dollars and cents. Regardless of the method by which a woman provides for their family, a godly woman should contribute. I want to be very clear here & say that there is no judgement nor condemnation for the working woman nor for the homemaker. I greatly admire women who work full time & then come home to also fulfill the duties required there...I personally am not strong enough nor sound of mind enough to do that. I also want to challenge us stay-at-home wives & mothers to make our time at home worthwhile. We must be purposefully engaged with our children, maintain our homes properly. Our contribution comes in the form of full bellies & clean clothes, and it is often easy to feel like a burden upon our spouses because a weekly deposit is not made in our name. As mentioned in the previous post we must realize our worth & be fulfilled in that. The P31W described in these verses takes it upon herself to not only maintain hearth & home, but to also be an entrepreneur. She "puts aside or saves money & with it buys a field" & from this we can deduce that she's made an investment. As a farmer's wife I can vouch for the fact that buying land is always a wise investment. Land, when planted with a crop, pays for itself over & over again. The P31W invested in something that she knew would provide a continuous income from her family. She also plants a garden, another venture that reaps rewards...food in bellies. In verse 24 this multi-talented woman once again puts her skills to use & makes a profit by selling clothes in shops. This homemaker finds multiple ways to contribute to her family...she is a partner to her spouse & shares his burden of provision. We must partner with our spouse, not carry his burdens upon our shoulders alone, but share the weight.
*I will interject here that we have the ability to determine just how truly difficult it is to provide. Our culture is notorious for viewing wants as needs & for bogging ourselves down with the pursuit of them. Hear my heart sisters, do not allow the selfish desires for wants to put your family under financial strain or to take you from the ones who need you most. It is altogether fitting, appropriate & responsible to meet familial needs but it is tragic & wrong to allow wants to become an idol.
Application:
Contribute: Acknowledge the worth of what you do for your family. If this message convicted you then make a concentrated effort to step up your endeavors in assisting your mate be it financially or at home
Entrepreneur: Consider ways that provide added income or meet needs such as clothing or food. Perhaps it's having a yard sale, or making a craft & selling it.
Partner: Be sure to share the weight of your spouse's burden. Don't assume the entirety of it, but walk in unity.
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