The Faith Journey - #24 - Verses 1-17 Review on Being a Proverbs 31 Woman

Sorry I am a little late getting The Faith Journey out this week.  This weekend just flew by me, however I guess a little late is better than not at all!  :)

This week I want to go back and review what we have learned so far about the Proverbs 31 woman.  This will help to refresh in our minds all that we need to be working on, and will also remind us of all that we are doing well.  :)  If you need to go back and reread or maybe read for the first time any of these post, please take the time to do so.  Even though I wrote them, I have found rereading them has been rather convicting and I know I have let a few things slide already.  You probably can figure this out on your own because you are so smart, but the title of each bullet is a link back to that post.  ;)

• Being a Proverbs 31 Woman in Today's Culture   - At the beginning of this Proverbs 31 series we took a look at why it was written.  We learned that it is a mother, most likely Bathsheba, the royal mother of King Solomon, who is the voice for these verses.  She instructs her son on the type of woman that he should be seeking.  It is her love and affection for her son, as well as her experience that make her words so powerful.  The woman she describes is not only the type of woman I strive to be, but also the type of woman I pray my sons will find for wives.  
• Being a Proverbs 31 Woman Vs. 10 - In verse 10 we took a look at Ruth.  Ruth is a great example of the Proverbs 31 woman.  She is a "precious jewel" of the bible and proves her worth through her actions.  She shows that this type of woman isn't impossible to find, but is worth seeking out.  Couldn't we all benefit from a wife, sister, daughter, or friend like Ruth?  Don't we all wish we could be more like her?  She is a wonderful example which is why I chose her to be our Proverbs 31 woman mascot!
• Being a Proverbs 31 Woman Vs. 11 - Verse 11 taught us that we need to find the value of our own self worth.   The Lord sees us as worthy, and for others to see us as worthy, we must first know our own worth.  We also learned that we are to be trustworthy.  We started a list of 10 things we find valuable about ourselves.  In addition, we began to pray for our spouse daily.  These are both things you can do even if you are not already married.  Take this a step farther and pray also for your children and their future spouse as well.  Ask the Lord to even now be preparing their hearts for each other.
• Being a Proverbs 31 Woman Vs. 12 - Our look into verse 12 revealed that we should be taking care of our husband.  We need to pamper him with our love, shower him with our affection, and build him up with our words.  Our actions should never be harmful to our spouse.  We should be doing at least one act of love for our spouse everyday.  I hope at this point it is becoming habit and you are doing much more than just one thing a day to show your love.
• Being a Proverbs 31 Woman Vs. 13 - In verse 13 we learned about being good stewards of our money and our time.  We started a "to do" list of all of those projects we put off for "some day".  That day is today!  It is time to start picking away at that list.  We also started asking ourselves "Do I need this?" and "Is this the best price for this product?" before making a purchase.  
• Being a Proverbs 31 Woman Vs. 14 - Have you been making meals for your family?  In verse 14 we learned that we should be cooking for our family, because it shows love and it is a better use of our money.  I gave you some ideas for ways to stretch your meals and easy items you can make for your family dinner.  FYI family dinners are one of the BEST ways to bond as a family!  Be sure to sit down as a family for meals at least 3 times a week!
• Being a Proverbs 31 Woman Vs. 15 - When we reached verse 15 you learned of my weak area!  Rising early to prepare breakfast for my family is not my strong point!  This has been one area I have struggled and prayed over.  We talked about setting the alarm 10 minutes early so that we can pray, or do morning devotions without interruption.  We also learned to look for the needs of others.  We should be seeking out ways that we can be serving those around us, and not just waiting for things to fall into our laps.
• Being a Proverbs 31 Woman Vs. 16 - Verse 16 revealed the importance of taking an interest in your spouses work.  It also pointed out that we should be fruitful ourselves (using our time and money wisely).  We talked about getting a plant to remind us of this.  If you garden, or have ever thought about starting a garden, this is the time to be getting it ready.  
• Being a Proverbs 31 Woman Vs. 17 - While looking at verse 17 we discovered that part of self worth is good health.  We learned that the Proverbs 31 woman takes care of herself.  She exercises, eats well, and keeps herself healthy.  A sick woman can not serve her family well, and the Proverbs 31 woman would know this.

So that sums up what we have learned thus far in Proverbs 31.  Next week is Easter so I think I will be doing a special Easter post.  I hope you will join me for that!  Have a beautiful week my friends.