Have You Heard of the Proverbs 32 Woman?

A certain chapter of the Bible has been read and studied so frequently at women’s events around the world that the character who emerges from these pages is known by everyone as the Proverbs 31 woman, a wife who is worth more than rubies: She loves her work and is busy from the wee hours of the morning until late at night, she provides for her family with beauty and abundance, she has people who work for her, she is business savvy and profitable, she is physically strong, she generously cares for the poor, she is married to a leader, she has dignity and peace, she is wise and loved, and she fears the Lord. What a woman!

What a woman? What a person! It’s not just women who can learn from her. All of us could hold her up as a model, though I suppose many of us would quickly turn the page when comparing ourselves to her, hoping to find a Proverbs 32 woman who is not quite so intimidating.

Perhaps it would go something like this:

She is not a bad person, better than nothing.
Her husband doesn’t have many complaints about her
because he pretty much gets what he needs.
She brings trouble on him only some of the time.
She selects decent TV shows
and starts her work when he complains.
She is like a pizza delivery guy,
bringing food when she has to.
She gets up well before noon;
she doesn’t leave the fridge empty for more than a few days
and almost always pays her bills.
She surfs the Internet and buys lots of clothes at great discounts;
with her credit she grows a healthy debt.
She sets about her socializing vigorously;
her facebook is strong (with about 600 friends).
She sees that her lounging is perfected,
and her TV does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the remote
and grasps the mouse with her fingers.
She opens her arms to people who give her attention
and extends her hands to wealthy people who might help her out someday.
When it snows, she yells at her husband to start shoveling;
for he’s the only one out of bed.
She makes a lap tray for her bed;
she is clothed in flannel pajamas that need to be washed.
Her husband is out hunting as often as he can,
so he can get away from the chaos.
She has garage sales and sells junk,
and supplies the neighbors with broken knickknacks.
She is clothed with wit and arrogance;
she makes wisecracks about the days to come.
She speaks as a know-it-all,
and constant instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of other people’s households
and eats up the all the juicy gossip.
Her children arise and roll their eyes at her;
her husband also, and he uses sarcasm against her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but she spends thousands on plastic surgery.
Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works give them something to talk about at the city gate.

Having high expectations of ourselves may be intimidating, but it sure beats having low expectations. I’m glad that God doesn’t think our being like the Proverbs 31 woman is out of reach. He wants the best for us, and he’s made it possible for us to achieve that.