Proverbs 31 Series: Doing Him Good + Having The Right Attitude

I am currently doing a Proverbs 31 study with Good Morning Girls and thought I would share with you what I have been learning. We are part way through week four and so far I am really enjoying getting deeper into these verses and applying them to my life.

Last week’s verses were Proverbs 31: 12-14.

What do these verses mean for today’s women?

Verse 12 - As long as she lives, she does him good and never harm.

This verse reinforced for me that marriage is for life -  “as long as she lives” the Proverbs 31 woman is committed to her marriage and doing good for her husband. As a wife I should make it my priority to ‘do him good’, realising that I have a powerful influence over my husband which should not be abused but honoured.

Doing good needs to be part of our character, which God will help us cultivate and we should always seek to ‘do good’ first and foremost to our husbands. Many times I have found myself treating others better than I treat my own husband, which is wrong. Verse 12 reminds me of where my priorities should lie. Looking for some ideas on how to do good to your husband, check out this post. 

Are you doing good to your husband?

Verse 13 – She keeps herself busy making wool and linen cloth.

Different bible versions say that she ‘works with eager hands’. I believe this verse is referring to the attitude we have when we are undertaking our duties around the home. This does not just apply to wives, but to women in general. Now I don’t get excited cleaning the bathroom as much as the next person, but my attitude when I do it should be a positive one. I mean in the first instance I should be grateful I have a toilet to clean! There are many people in the world who would be happy for this ‘luxury’ which we take for granted. Secondly everything I do should be to the glory of God {Colossians 3:23}. Finally, this is a labour of love for my family and that alone should change my perspective.

Do you struggle in this area? Courtney in her ebook  The Proverbs 31 Woman - One Virtue at a Time, encourages us to research and find inspiration {Pinterest in great here}, speak to other women who we know are good in this area and seek encouragement and advice. When I first met my husband I was not that great in the kitchen, I hardly spent any time there and much preferred to eat out all the time. As a newlywed this was not an affordable long term strategy, plus my husband preferred home cooked meals, so I had to change. I decided to spend some time with other wives I knew who were great in the kitchen, to ask them to show me how to make different dishes. I really enjoyed (and still do) this time of learning and have improved so much. Today I have a genuine love for cooking and preparing meals for my family.

Are you willing to work in your home? Do you have the right attitude?

Verse 14 – She brings home food from out-of-the-way places, as merchant ships do.

I grocery shop online for convenience, it is especially convenient when you have a baby in tow. This verse however did make me think, whilst it is convenient, is it cost effective? Could I be getting better deals if I visited different supermarkets (sans baby!). In what ways am I using our food budget effectively?

For the first time in a long time, this past weekend I planned our menu for the week and went to the store to buy the relevant ingredients. I then spent time making up 4 of the meals for the week in one batch (thanks for the inspiration Mrs O), so that I could freeze some and take some of the pressure off during the week. It’s great not having to worry about ‘what will we eat’.  This verse has challenged me to find ways in which I can serve my family better in this area.

How are you applying these verses to your life?

Related Proverbs 31 Posts
Proverbs 31 - A woman that Fears the Lord