Read: Proverbs 31:10-31
The world teaches us to seek beauty in ourselves - on the outside or on the inside. It is just too bad we can search forever and all we will ever find within ourselves is not beautiful at all. It is actually the opposite of beautiful.
When referencing the Proverbs 31 woman, so many will say, "Look, this is what I need to do to be a biblical woman! I have the answer. I am a wonderful, beautiful, strong, busy woman when I act like her." Or some who see it say, "Those crazy Christian women are so old-fashioned. How could they let men treat them like they have to do all this? It is so demeaning." I will give them this - it does seem like a checklist. When I first started thinking about this reality series on womanhood, I considered addressing the Proverbs 31 passage one verse at a time. I fell into the trap myself.
Then I read. I read. I read. I read the Bible. I read Lutheran stuff. I read the opposite of Lutheran stuff. These are my conclusions on beauty in reference to the Proverbs 31 woman.
This passage is a man describing his wife. He sings her praises in public. He goes verse by verse describing her amazing qualities in business, in home, in family, and in faith. He speaks of her as if he were Christ describing His bride, the Church.
Hmmmm....
A marriage depicting Christ and His Church - who would have ever thought of that concept?
I can assure you the original Proverbs 31 woman was a failure in as many ways as you and I are. I can only assure you of that because there has never been a perfect woman.
So, what is up with the fact that she seems so darn perfect?
It is all in who describes her - her husband.
You don't see Christ standing before God describing all the Church's faults. You see Him singing Her glories, presenting Her as blameless.
I don't mean to turn the Proverbs 31 passage against husbands, but there is no denying their role in this perfect woman. Husbands, if you want a Proverbs 31 woman, start treating her like a Proverbs 31 woman. Sing her praises in public and in private. Teach your children to sing her praises. Talk of her grace. Talk of her faith. Watch your words help her become your blameless bride. Watch your words help your eyes to see her differently. You are to her as Christ is to the Church. You are to her as this husband is to his Proverbs 31 woman.
I also don't mean to turn the Proverbs 31 passage away from a checklist. There is so much to learn from the Law when it is applied rightly. The Church honors Her Husband, Christ. She does Him no harm and only good all the days of Her life. So shall we as wives. Wives, you can't be the perfect Proverbs 31 woman any more than the church on this earth can be blameless. Does that mean you ignore the goodness found in this passage? By no means! You just have to recognize the passage for what it is...
Where does the Proverbs 31 woman find her beauty? She fears the Lord. Through her fear of the Lord springs forth a whole passage of good deeds to her husband and family. Through her fear of the Lord springs forth generations of women singing her praises.
The fear of the Lord springs forth beauty. Just as flowers springing forth in a field do not dress themselves, you don't either.
A woman's beauty is not today, nor will it ever be, found within herself - outside or inside. Her beauty is given from the same source as the flower's beauty.
If you would like to read more about the Proverbs 31 woman, I would recommend:
Proverbs - Concordia Commentary by Andrew E. Steinmann (It is rather expensive just to read this section. You could also go visit a Lutheran pastor and ask to borrow it - I bet they would be really happy to help you.)
The Lutheran Study Bible (references to Proverbs as a whole and to Proverbs 31). You should just go ahead and buy this one. It is awesome.
I would not recommend googling "Proverbs 31 woman" unless you want to be really overwhelmed.
