The Proverbs 31 Woman

Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. ~ 1 Peter 3:3-4

This is one of my favorite scriptures! I read this and I realize just how precious we are as daughters of God! We are all beautiful in His eyes! And reading this makes us understand that beauty is not just what you see on the outside...it's a matter of the heart. It is how we carry ourselves...how we present ourselves to others.

More of my favorite scripture is found in Proverbs 31:10-31. I love reading about the Proverbs 31 woman! I've heard a lot of women say that they feel very intimidated reading about her and they feel that becoming like her is so far out of reach. I feel quite the opposite! It excites me to read about all that she does! She is an amazing woman who knows her God and with His help and through His strength, she accomplishes so much! She doesn't have time to sit around and make excuses why she can't do the things that need to be done. She doesn't use the fact that she is a woman and the "weaker vessel" to make people feel sorry for her. No, she is a woman of great integrity and strength! She has great wisdom and uses her time wisely! She makes sure that her family is taken care of! She is careful with her words and chooses to be a blessing to others! Her mind is on those around her and because she has a servant's heart and blesses others, she is greatly blessed!

My heart's desire is to be like her! On days when I feel overwhelmed and think that life is too hard or I just can't accomplish everything that needs to be done, I remind myself of her. Her strength lies in her relationship with the Father. It reminds me that I need to rely on Him. I need to surrender everything to Him and let Him walk with me through my daily life. He never intended for me to try to do it on my own. When I devote time to Him on a daily basis and let Him have control of my day, everything goes so much smoother! I have peace that passes all understanding and He guides me in every step I take.

These scriptures encourage me in my walk with Him because He would never give us this example if it was impossible to attain. In our own strength and power it is impossible but through Him we can become everything He created us to be! We can be like this woman! We can live a life that chooses to bless others. We can be unselfish and light the way so that others may know Him. We can display integrity, moral excellence, and beauty that goes way beyond just our physical appearance. We can work with Him to take care of our physical body as well as growing spiritually.

I encourage you to study these verses in Proverbs. As you study, let God open your heart to see what an amazing creation you are! You were created for greatness and there is nothing you can't accomplish with His help! You are so much stronger than you realize and He's waiting on you to relinquish all control so that He can release everything that's on the inside of you!