In today’s world we are told being a woman is suppose to be a certain thing. Be in control, powerful, get a career, don’t let anyone control you, yet look pretty, be thin, don’t eat too much, be sweet and flirty. Wait to have kids, you are waiting too long, demand certain ‘rights’, don’t take no for an answer, you are being oppressed by the “man”, yet at the same time we are told to seek approval by how we dress, act, what we wear and do, etc. It is so confusing and contradicting in this crazy world!

Many women today are portrayed in our culture and media as either the pant-suit-wearing-woman-of-power that does not need a man, or a woman that is a totally helpless barbie, which is far from reality.

What does womanhood mean to me? Simple. Proverbs 31 spells out in quite a bit of detail what true womanhood looks like.The mysterious woman described here is the woman we should all strive to be.

10 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil, All the days of her life.

We see that her husband trusts her, she does not lie to him, hide things, go behind his back, etc. This is true for all the people in our life, not just a husband, but family and friends, as well.

13 She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar.
15 She rises also while it is still night, And gives food to her household, And portions to her maidens.

We see here that she enjoys and does the household chores. One of the roles of being a wife is to run the home, it is not some demeaning task that is so commonly portrayed in the movies today. We see she has a hobby that she enjoys, we need to have an outlet to refresh ourselves. That is just how we are made. She is also generous with her bounty by giving some to her maidens (hired help).

16 She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.

We see here that she is a wise investor with money. She does not squander her money on petty things, instead she leverages her money to gain wealth for her family.

17 She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong.

I personally take this to mean she worked out at the “Ye Olde CrossFit Box” but in reality, it means she took care of her body, both mentally with prayer and study, and physically.

18 She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.

She is a hard and diligent worker, she is not a lazy person. 

20 She extends her hand to the poor, And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

Always giving, with with money or help of however it is needed from her.

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

She is prepared for changes in life and season, not running around crazy at the last minute.

22 She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.

They are well known in the community and because of the way they are living their lives and setting an example for the coming generations.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies belts to the tradesmen.

She shows she is creative and working to bring in income to the home and for herself by having a job. 

25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.

She does not worry about the future, things that she cannot control.

26 She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

She shares her wisdom and knowledge that she has learned with others

27 She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Again, it is shown to us again that she does not waste her time with laziness. all of her time is spent doing something productive. Now that does not mean that we cannot chill and watch a episode of Fixer-Upper on the couch now and then to rest and recharge, but we need to make sure that our daily activities are useful and productive.

28 Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29  “Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.

Womanhood is not about how to you look, but how to act and how your heart looks that matters. Not what typical society tells us which is the sexy vixen with a career and power and zero family life, nor the ragged tired does nothing and hates her life stay-at-home-mom that we see in media today. Are your mentors examples of Proverbs 31 womanhood or the media’s portrayal of womanhood? Are you striving daily to be a Proverbs 31 woman?