A Virtuous Woman

~Proverbs 31:10, 27-28 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Noah Webster defines the word “virtuous” as:

1. Morally good; acting in conformity to the moral law; practicing the moral duties, and abstaining from vice; as a virtuous man.

2. Being in conformity to the moral or divine law; as a virtuous action; a virtuous life.

3. Chaste; applied to women.

The virtuous woman spoken of in Proverbs 31 is the woman who lives a chaste and morally good life. Protecting ourselves from the corruption of this world is a major task with all the various types of distractions today.  Facebook can be a wonderful tool but there are many things posted by unsaved friends which should not be seen. Yes, we can try to justify it by saying we are trying to win the lost, but how many of your lost family members and friends have gotten saved?  Now compare that to how many times they have posted something your eyes should not have seen?

Women merely need to turn to this Proverbs chapter in God’s Word to find out how God wishes for them to live. What have I learned from this chapter? Here are but a few things to which I learned to judge myself according to the Bible:

1. Does God and His Word come first in my life?  If yes, I can expect my spiritual life to be chaste and moral.  If not, I am no  better than the unsaved “religious” person who tries to do so “in the flesh.”  There is no peace and victory without God being first in our lives.
2. Is my husband my priority in all the things that I do and say in my home?  After all, my husband is my life after the Lord Jesus.  This encompasses a great deal.  If I follow this pattern of chastity and being morally good, I will not listen to music which will have my thoughts stray away from my beloved.  If I follow this pattern, I will not watch shows on television that involve adultery, etc., which will have my thoughts stray away from my beloved.  This also includes anything that would stir up rebellion in my heart.  I can’t begin to tell you the number of “Christian” women I know who watch Desperate Housewives!  The commercials alone would cause Christian women to question their own happiness.  I cannot stress this one enough.  The virtuous woman is to be content with the husband that God has given to her.  Even if salvation came after marriage, there is no excuse.  We women are commanded to love our husbands no matter what (1 Peter 3:1-3).  There is no deviation there.  Do I love my husband unconditionally as Christ loves me?  Do I repeatedly forgive my husband as Christ repeatedly forgives me?  Granted, the wife of an unsaved husband faces different challenges in her marriage. However, God’s commands to her are the same as to the woman whose husband is a Godly man. This was difficult for me at first.  If it had not been for God’s grace, our marriage would not have made it.
3. Do I raise my children according to God’s Word?  How do I handle situations with them when Dad does not agree with me?  Do I dishonor Dad by correcting him or making him look bad in front of the children?  If I am honoring my husband, so will my children.  Do my children’s needs come before my husband’s needs?  This is not what God intends for me.  Granted, a baby’s needs are more immediate but after those needs are met, my husband should be first once again.  My example to my children should be a living testimony of obedience to God’s Word.
4. Do I take care of the home that God has blessed me with?  A home is not a house, per se.  It is anywhere that my husband and I (and children) reside.  Making it a home is up to me.  My obedience to God, my creativity, my talents, and my attitude make up the home.  Sadly there is a saying in the world that goes something like this:  “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t NOBODY happy!”  That saying absolutely breaks my heart.  The virtuous woman’s home should be a safe haven for her husband and children.  Her husband should be anxious to enter the doors at the end of the day.  My attitude “du jour” will be the spirit of my home.  If I am grumpy, my family will suffer and they will be grumpy.  However, if I started my day with the Lord and am yielded to Him, my spirit will be joyous and my family will reap the benefit.  It is do-able, ladies!

The woman who desires to be all that God intends for her to be will have her nose in her Bible at some point in her day.  She will desire Him first in her life, every day.  The Holy Spirit can then work in her heart and give her direction from His Word.

We will never achieve perfection on this earth, dear lady, but we can be busy striving to be what God has intended for us to be.  This brings true peace and joy!