The Bible says,
“An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.” Proverbs 31:10-11 NASB
Wow! Her worth is far above jewels!
Do you know where to find the secret of this Proverbs 31 woman’s life success?
You find it in verse 30 of the same chapter:
“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Proverbs 31:30 NASB
Beautiful, isn’t it? She fears the LORD! This is the secret of her life. She fears God means she is totally dependent on God. She takes zero confidence in herself but her confidence is always in and through the grace and mercy of God.
So,
- She always prays!
Prayer marks her life. She prays so she opens her mouth with wisdom, kindness and compassion.
“She does him [her husband] good and not evil
All the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:12 NASB
Because she prays, she is a peaceful person. She has peace with herself and peace with her husband and kids. She knows that she can do nothing good apart from God. So, she prays!
2. She knows that she has no goodness apart from God.
““I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5 NASB
3. She always seeks her joy from God
Psalm 16 is her life motto. She goes to God whenever she runs out of peace, joy and happiness, not to her husband.
“Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16 NASB
4. She stops herself from expecting too much from her husband
She is a praying woman! That means, not only she puts her trust on God to give her peace and joy but she puts all her expectations on God, not in her poor husband.
“My husband will take me to a special place today because today is my birthday!”
No! She stops herself from expecting too much from her husband. If her husband remembers her birthday and does something, she thanks and appreciates him. Since her expectation is on God, she doesn’t struggle with disappointments.
5. She takes a good care of herself
It doesn’t matter if she stays home or go to work. She takes shower, puts deodorant and smells clean and good all the time. She puts nice clothes even when she cooks. She tries to exercise and keep watch of her diet and weight, not that she will be size 2 or 4 but she won’t be over her normal size.
As she keeps her body clean, neat and healthy as much as she can, she knows that she is taking care of God’s temple for the word of God says,
“do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB
6. Her number one focus in her life is the glory of God
She knows that she can mainly glorify God as she takes her God-given place, a wife under her husband. When she submits to her husband, God is glorified in and through her. Submission for her is the short and easy way of glorifying God in her life.
These six things may seem big but they are easy as long as she keeps doing them all in prayer. This is the kind of woman the word God calls “An excellent wife” or “A noble wife.”
And “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,” Proverbs 12:4a NASB
Not all wives are crowns of their husbands; only the one with a noble character.
May God help us all, wives, to be excellent wives who glorifies God and honors and respects her husband! Not easy without the help of God! ///