Today, excellence is not the desire of the majority. We have become so lazy and selfish that we accept what is “ok” or “good enough,” as the norm. It shows up in the products we buy, in the services we receive, and the basic attitude of life.
The Proverbs 31 woman is a woman who has sought excellence in every area of her life. We find in verse 29 that she excelled all other women. What gave her the edge over other women? Our first response would be she is a Christian, but if you read the whole passage you will find she excelled all women, Christian, and nonbelievers. What was the difference?
Proverbs 31:29-30 “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.”
This mom is teaching her son the final and most important character trait to find a wife. She cautions him not to choose based on looks or the favor she places on him. Favor is the act of doing whatever the man wants, treating him with kindness, being very affectionate, seeking ways to please him, and manipulating him, to get what she wants, a husband! Many men have been manipulated into becoming a husband, to find out later they made a huge mistake. She cautions him that beauty is vain. It will fade and change with age. Her most important character trait is that she fears the Lord. This is the key to excellence.
What is fear of the Lord? It is a fervent desire to please God and hate anything that displeases him.
Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”
Fearing the Lord is much more than trying to keep rules and going to church. It is not going through the routine of “being” a Christian. The virtuous woman loves the Lord God with all her strength, soul, and mind. She believes the Bible completely and seeks to obey it. A woman who fears the Lord wants to know all they can about God. When she reads what God expects, she seeks to fulfill it. She loves God so much she doesn’t want to do anything that would displease Him. She has the desire of the Psalmist in 119:127-128.
Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
Psalm 119:127-128 “Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Therefore, I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.”
She is seeking the best for her life and this desire spills over into her family. Because of her desire to please God, she gains the benefit of a very blessed family. If we are going to do something why not have the mindset of the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 9:24-27? He is running to win not lose. If we are in the race, and if we are Christian why not run for the prize? Everything in our life will be better if we keep our focus on fearing the Lord and desiring to please Him in every aspect of our lives. When we live this way, the Holy Spirit will work in us to bear the fruit of love, joy, and peace. We will be a blessing to all those who are a part of our lives.
I Corinthians 9:24-27 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
Let us run the race of the virtuous woman with patience. Seeking daily to be all that God wants us to be. Determine to live a disciplined life in self-denial, diligence, and graciousness. The virtuous woman is attainable, but it takes a lifetime to complete. Start today seeking the goal of being the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31.
Let’s do another check-up to measure ourselves. We need to critique ourselves on a regular basis.
- How much do you love God? Do you fully grasp what He has done for you by providing salvation through the sacrifice of His Son?
- How highly do you esteem scripture? Is it the authority in your life even when it disagrees with the way you are living? Do you pick and choose the verses you will follow? Partial obedience is disobedience.
- Are you willing to be taught? One of the greatest character traits of anyone is that they are willing to be taught. It’s not enough to do what you know to do, but we must seek out all that God has for us, and then be willing to follow it.
- How receptive are you to correction? If someone you know is living according to the Bible, and they show you an area that needs to change, do you respond positively?
So, what is the key to excellence? Having the proper fear of the Lord, a reverence, and an awe which causes us to have a desire to give Him no less than our best.
