Job Description

God wants me to write about the Proverbs 31 woman.  I’ve encountered her many times in recent weeks and have new respect for her thanks to Andy Lee’s Word Wednesday (http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=2156).

If you don’t know the Proverbs 31 woman, you can read a full description at Biblegateway.com.  You need only read a tiny bit to realize she’s perfect – an Old Testament Wonder Woman.  In my experience, women don’t like her.  They get defensive and loud.  She sets an unreachable standard and must be exhausted!  In discussion, someone usually recalls that the job description was written by a man and that Biblical women had to sew because they didn’t get free shipping when they spent $100.

However, Proverbs is a book of wisdom and this man seeks a virtuous, capable woman of noble character.  Who should apply?  Understanding the original Hebrew meaning is helpful.  First, noble in this context means strong.  This is a strong woman.  We like that, right? 

In addition, while virtuous has many definitions (some military!), one says a virtuous woman maintains an agreeable or positive attitude in doing that which must be done or accepted anyway.  Read that again.  It’s all about having a positive attitude while tending to the hum-drum of daily life.  That’s not such an unreachable standard, is it?  Strong and agreeable.

This reminds me of another wise nugget (written by a man) that sums it all up.  Proverbs 27:15 – A quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping on a rainy day.  I’ll bet you didn’t realize the Bible was so practical.