Proverbs 31:10-12(NLT)
“10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”
As single women, we should remind ourselves of this Old Testament passage in Proverbs 31 often. It’s God’s wisdom that was taught to King Lemuel by his mother. During the king’s day, sexual immorality was as rampant as it is today, and the king’s mother wanted him to steer clear of women who practiced this kind of behavior. Sexual immorality diminishes the strength of both men and woman in so many ways, and this mother broke it down to her son because she wanted him to be strong and to marry a strong wife. God will point a good man in the direction of a virtuous and capable wife, and we should desire with all our hearts to be the one at the end of His finger.
God has given men great responsibilities, the top one is producing Godly children that will continue his legacy of honoring God. Women can support and nourish life in their wombs and out of the womb, but only the seed of a man can produce children, and this is according to our Heavenly Father’s brilliant design. Jesus Christ walked upon this earth as a man, and through him, God made it possible for us to be His children. Romans 5:17(NLT) says, “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.” Because of what God has done through Jesus Christ, we can have God’s seed, the Holy Spirit, inside us, and this is what makes us His kids.
Romans 5:18(NLT) says, “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.” The right relationship with God that we have because of Christ should produce the kind of woman that Proverbs 31:10-12 speaks about. As a single woman, you must have the kind of heart that rejoices in what God has done through Christ every day of your life.
A virtuous woman is a woman whose heart is sold out to God. She honors him with her whole life and because of this, God blesses and rewards her. So, we must know that the motivation for being a virtuous woman isn’t to snag a man, it’s to please God. This is want positions us to be in the right place at the right time.
God wants us to know that the things of His Kingdom come first. Moving His agenda forward should be continually on our minds, but some of us are just not there. We’re desperate for marriage and want it for the satisfaction of our own agendas. We’re not thinking about a well-formed partnership that is drenched in God’s anointing and purpose. We’re not thinking about the mission that God has for our future spouses and how we might help them fulfill it. Other things are on our minds, but we’ve got to change that.
Social media is flooded with women talking about what they deserve, and about what they will and will not accept. Their desires for marriage are tanked by a strong sense of entitlement. They want to be catered to. They want the man to take care of them without the heart to do the same. God tells us in Jeremiah 17:10(NLT), “But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” God is the Giver and Provider of blessings. He knows our hearts. He sees what we do and knows our secret motivation.
Proverbs 12:4(NLT) says, “A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.” Some of us single women are beyond childbearing years. Our children may be fully grown, but we’re desiring marriage. That desire must be matched by a commitment to God and the willingness to follow His guidance. The intent to be a blessing and put the welfare of a spouse above your own is paramount. You must have faith that God will take care of your needs when you fulfill your obligation to His Will and purpose.
For those that are praying to meet their spouses and begin a family, the commitment to God must be your priority as well, perhaps even more so. Helping to teach your children God’s Word and to raise them according to it must be in your heart. As women of faith, our standard of Godliness and virtue has been set by our Heavenly Father. Making Proverbs 31:10-12 our goal keeps our hearts pure and our minds strong. Pray to God. Humble yourself before Him and release anything that keeps you from being the wife that He wants you to be. Do this often, so that you please the Father and become a wife who greatly enriches your husband’s life. This is important to God, and it must be important to you.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“A Proverbs 31 Kind of Wife”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack and KLizzie for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.