Raising Proverbs 31 Women
Her Behavior Continued
We are continuing our look at the excellent wife’s behavior.
- What did she do that made her so wonderful?
- What actions should we be teaching our daughters to strive for?
- What was important to the Proverbs 31 Woman?
Proverbs 31:15-16 {ESV}
She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
Her Behavior {Biblical Times}
Think of all the work providing meals for your family and maidens would have been back then. Grinding the wheat and creating everything from scratch would have taken hours of work for her. It was so important to her that her family did not go without, that she was up before the sun to provide a wonderful meal for not just her family but her maidens as well.
Before she would make such a large purchase, as a field, she would consider it. She would do whatever she could to research and check out the land to make sure it would be a wise purchase for her family. With the profits, she has made she plants a vineyard to create even more profit. Which is something she would have considered before she purchased the land.
So how should our behavior look today?
This one is a difficult one for me – rising while it is still dark. I am not a morning person by any means. So the fact that she does this to create a healthy breakfast/meals for her family is proof that she puts the needs of others before her own. She gives up that extra time in bed to care for her family. She wouldn’t just roll out of bed, throw a frozen waffle in the toaster and call it breakfast. She makes maybe scrambled eggs, fresh-baked bread and squeezes some oranges for juice!
I think part of the point of this verse is that she gets up and starts working. She doesn’t get up, watch the news, maybe a morning show…she is up and starting her day. She is thinking about what others need from her that day and getting to it.
I supposed some of us are literally considering a field and purchasing it for investment still today. But for most of us, this would probably look more like considering stock or bonds to purchase. Is it a viable company? Will I get a return on my investment? How will I reinvest my dividends? Which purchase will make me the most money but with the least risk?
She’s not just checking items she “needs” off her list. She thinks about them and is strategic about how she spends her money.
How do we teach this to our daughters?
Teaching our daughters the importance of a healthy, well-balanced meal is very important. But equally important is showing them that there is no short cut to getting it – you need to put your time and effort into it to achieve this healthy meal. Every thing today seems to be focused on the “quick fix” – no body seems to be teaching that quality is better than quantity. Everyone is so quick to just get it done and not focusing on putting your heart into your work. Think of all the love and labor you put into fixing your family’s Thanksgiving feast. Now – shouldn’t each of your meals be that thought out and planned – that important to you? Okay, not that size of a meal but the same effort you put into it! Talk to your girls about how important it is to you that they have a good nutritional meal.
When it comes to investing and your finances I truly believe their never too young to start talking about it with them. I have shown my daughters the stock I have purchased for them (custodial accounts) and the stocks I have purchased for us as a family. I talk to my daughters about why I chose the companies I did: organic companies, American companies, steady earning companies. We also discuss why we don’t purchase certain items (being a good steward of our money). I have done this for as long as I can remember, I honestly can’t remember what age I started. When my oldest was only 7 years old she knew that you need to watch your stocks and keep up with the market. It doesn’t need to be an all-day event at the young ages but just when you check them maybe include them in your process.
Showing Her Behavior
When it comes to the Excellent Wife’s behavior I think one of the easiest ways to teach this to our daughters is to strive to behave like her and to explain to your girls why you are doing what you are doing. Keep an open dialog going of all the things you do on any given day and encourage them to ask you questions about what you’re up to. Never see it as an intrusion but a life lesson! Show them that it’s not a chore (a negative) but a task you do with love for your family.
- So how will YOU begin showing your daughters these behaviors?
- Are you already showing them these?
- What can YOU share with us that is working for you?
*Monday we will continue with more of her behavior in Proverbs 31:17-18*
Are you just joining us in this 10 Day Series? Want to start from the beginning? Here you go – some quick links for you are right here! No hunting required!
Raising Proverbs 31 Women
Love Life, Love God and Live For HIM …
