Sermon (12-May): “The Godly Woman” Proverbs 31:10-31 (NIV)

Bible Passage:

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.

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

17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Objective: The objective of this message is to define, describe, and recognize the godly woman

Introduction: “Not Immortal, Yet Attainable” (SLIDE)

- Today, there’s an extraordinary amount of pressure that’s placed on the shoulders and backs of women—

- Women that are professionals, homemakers, careerists, married, singles, and mothers

- From the home to the boardroom, from the streets of Los Angeles to Wall Street itself;

- The expectation is to push and thrive past every perceivable limit

- And surpass every glass ceiling to establish a solid foundation for every woman following you…

- To establish a template to follow for every daughter, niece, little cousin—one that is tangible

- A template that echoes the words of the great theologians Chaka Khan and Whitney Houston, “I’m Every Woman”

- Chaka Khan when asked, the meaning behind the song remarked,

“The song is saying together, collectively I’m every woman and it’s all in me…It took me a while to get comfortable singing that and once I got it and I said, ‘Ok, I understand it now.'”

- Yet, the pressure that’s in the world has contributed to society pushing women and mothers to the edge and sometimes several feet beyond…

- So much so that when we see what women and mothers aren’t doing;

- It becomes ridiculed and even mocked by men who at times cannot even make it a day without the support of a woman

- Wise, married men would testify to the words of King Solomon in Proverbs 18:22,

“He who finds a wife finds what is good, and receives favor from the Lord.”

- And every man should recognize the truth that wisdom personified is shown in scripture—in Proverbs—to be that of a woman

- An essential part of God Himself shown to lift the persona of women and womanhood

- As in Proverbs 9 (verse 1), where scripture states,

“Wisdom has built her [spacious and sufficient] house; she has hewn out and set up her seven pillars.”

- To put it in simpler terms, God shows us the importance and value of women

- It’s a theme that repeats itself throughout Scripture—from the wisdom embedded in Proverbs to the support of Jesus’ ministry

- To Mary Magdalene being the first to spread the gospel that Jesus has arisen to Peter and John

- It’s clear and wholly evident that women are important, necessary, and vital to God and to our world today

- So, in steps Proverbs 31, where it seems like the blueprint of the virtuous, godly woman seems unattainable and out of reach

- Not just in generations past but also in today’s generation

- Women attending church today have been challenged, perplexed, and perhaps even distraught

- With the expectation to meet the mold of the Proverbs 31 woman

- This woman, wife and mother is God crafted—

- Created with a God-sized purpose just like every woman listening

- And every man would do well to recognize a godly woman when they meet one

TRANSITION: So, today’s let’s look at this template and portrait of a godly woman—a woman that is:

- About Building and Maintaining Her Character

- Knows Her Worth and Others Do As Well

- Knows What Dedication and Commitment Look Like

- Reverences and Fears God

- Deserves Honor

…About Building and Maintaining Her Character (SLIDE)

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

- Character, in the Christian community, has always been God’s primary focus

- As much as we like to project on the outside to the public, God’s target has been the inside—our heart, our character

- We can put on a show on the outside while on the inside look like a mess

- One thing that can be said about the godly, virtuous woman is that they don’t have time for games

- Building and solidifying their character is key

- It’s about cementing their God given character to meet their God given purpose

- When I refer to God given character, I’m referring at the very least to the fruit of the Spirit that God wants to build in each and every one of us—

- Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control

- That’s not specifically for any gender—male or female—that’s for a Christian

- But when I begin to think of those character traits, I see more women seeking to build those into their life consistently and faithfully

- There are men that do as well but when I look at the breakdown of women in comparison to men attending religious services and frequency of prayer

- The difference is usually at least 10 to 15% greater on the woman’s side

- And, for me as a man, I didn’t necessarily know any of those traits until I met my wife and started going to church

- A lot of men grow up rough housing and playing with trucks and forts

- While it seems that women are nurturing relationships that deal with love, peace, patience, kindness and goodness…

- Not all women and not all men

- A godly woman is more refined and cut from a different cloth than a man and it begins in the womb

- Dr. Michael Shapiro (Southern Regional AHEC) writes,

“During the formative period of childhood, female brains begin to process information differently than male brains. For instance, females tend to have verbal centers on both sides of the brain, while males tend to have verbal centers only in the left hemisphere. Females often have a larger hippocampus (the “center” of human memory) with a higher density of neural connections in that area. As a result, females take in and absorb more sensory and emotional information than their male counterparts. It has also been shown that male brains use more grey matter (information and action-centered areas of the brain) when processing information, while females use more white matter (which governs “higher order” reasoning and thinking). This is why females tend to be better at multi-tasking, are usually better at interpreting emotions, and seem to have “women’s intuition” (which I think is a term invented by men to explain why women are generally smarter!). In contrast, men actually utilize fewer brain areas and are prone to “tunnel vision” when they are actively engaged in a single activity…NO scientific discovery is applicable to 100% of people, 100% of the time. There will always be both men and women who defy these generalizations; and there are many people of both genders who “process” information more like their traditional counterparts!”

- Again, it’s not all women or all women, all the time

- I say this because the value that’s been embedded in a woman..God knew exactly what He was doing when He refined woman

- Look at how he wraps up the character of the godly woman (Pro 31:29, AMP),

29 “Many daughters have done nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all.”

- She is worth far more than rubies

Transition: Which happens to be closely tied to my next point…The Godly Woman

Knows Her Worth and Others Do As Well (SLIDE)

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

- The strength, dignity, wisdom and instruction of the godly woman simply cannot be ignored

- Whether it’s a woman as a mother, teacher, homemaker, professional, wife or all the above and some areas not mentioned, strength can and will be evident

- It doesn’t have to be physical strength as that of a man but strength in the sense of having that wherewithal;

- It’s that inner voice that inner knowing that says you’ve got what you need to make it happen

- I’m not saying that you have no weaknesses—flaws come with being human

- I am saying that there’s a confidence in your worth that’s undeniable regardless of your current socioeconomic status or situation

- We all have situations going on that we’d like to see changed, improved, or bettered

- Still, the attitude on the inside speaks of assuredness and positivity

- It recognizes that the woman or man on the left or the right of you is not the competition

- I read this quote from a woman recently, it states,

“There is no competition because nobody can be like me.”

- If that doesn’t speak of strength and confidence, then I don’t know what does

- Some would look at that as being borderline arrogant but it’s entirely true

- What you bring to the table is 100% uniquely you and no one else can bring it

- Her words come from innate observation and varied experiences and based on wisdom

- A godly woman knows her worth and others do as well

- For the married women/mothers/mother figures (Pro 31:27-28; NLT),

Pro 31:27-28 “She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her…”

- She’s not simply looking how to benefit; SHE IS THE BENEFIT

- Good is simply intrinsic to the godly woman

- It’s in her hands, planning, generosity, work of whatever type, and loyalty to all in her care

- Many times, when others are sleeping, the godly woman is considering

- For the married, her husband has full confidence in her and she GREATLY enriches his life

Transition: Also, the godly woman…

Knows What Dedication and Commitment Look Like(SLIDE)

17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

- There are so many other verses in this passage that detail this godly woman’s dedication, commitment, and mindset

- Eager hands, provides food, inspects a field, dabbles as a seamstress, and is truly about her business

- This is where in today’s world it can seem to be a bit daunting for women

- The thought begins to say, “there’s no way I can live up to this mountainous expectation”

- But, I look at it like this, this Proverbs 31 woman is not built in a day rather she’s shaped over a lifetime

- She’s not instantly built to take on everything in this passage in a minute…rather she’s built—moment by moment

- Some have even argued that this Proverbs 31 woman’s description is detailing the different seasons of her life

- Daunting but not impossible; Challenging but not unattainable

- How do I know that to be true? God doesn’t set something out in Scripture that cannot be achieved as a woman or as a man

- That would make God an unjust God and we know that He is not

- Indeed, it may take work on our part and transformation by the Holy Spirit—both together by the way

- But, like Jesus said (Mark 10:27), “all things are possible with God.”

- Her preparation precedes her dedication and commitment—meaning while some see things in one dimension

- The godly woman sees it in 3D—the length, the width and depth of a thing

- She has a knack for seeing things in HD

- Authors, Bill & Pam Farrell explain it this way in Men Are Like Waffles--Women Are Like Spaghetti, which still amazes and confounds me,

“While a man tends to deal with one problem or purpose at a time (moving from waffle square to waffle square), a woman's thoughts generally flow together (like spaghetti noodles).”

- It’s the awesomeness that is a woman

- Her family, job, and so much more is indebted to the godly woman and her dedication and commitment

- I look at it this way…she impacts her world and THE world

- I can only imagine where our world would be without the presence of godly women

- Without the influence of a godly woman, the world would be so far behind

Transition: I am so thankful for that godly woman in my life—one that is about building and maintaining Her Character, knows her worth, and know what dedication and commitment look like; also, one who

Reverences and Fears God (SLIDE)

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

- This is the true foundation of the godly woman—God isn’t just a visitor in her home and life…He’s a permanent resident

- Her attitude towards God is unquestionable

- Her heart towards God shows itself continually

- I know the fear mentioned here is usually defined as a reverence, and I take it to mean that

- I also take that fear to mean that she doesn’t want to displease God

- People are another story because you can’t please everyone or even half of everyone

- But, displeasing God to the godly woman is heart piercing, gut wrenching

- Fear of God to the godly woman is not about cowering in fear; it’s about determining to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength

- It’s about loving your neighbor as yourself not necessarily looking to please your neighbor

- She’s not attempting to charm her way into a spot

- No, she’s in it to be pleasing to God which is deserving of praise

- God is active in her lifestyle; He doesn’t live in a closet

Deserves Honor (SLIDE)

31 Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

- This is where we close it out—all that the godly woman has done, and all that she is…is deserving of honor

- There’s so many different ventures and endeavors that a woman can set out on

- But, there’s none so great an endeavor, a pursuit, a life as honorable as a godly woman

- In this day and time of media and social media, women are bashed and demeaned across seemingly every outlet for their secular lifestyle and worldly pursuits

- Scripture here reminds us that all of what we’ve read and expounded upon up to this point is different than what’s prevalent in the news, followed and tweeted in social media today

- Scripture reminds us to,

31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

- Jesus publicly recognized the Gentile woman’s faith (Matt 15:28),

“O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.”

CLOSING: As I begin to close, the godly woman encompasses “every woman” from the home to the workplace to the marketplace

- The godly woman is one who is known for her godly character

- She is intent on building and maintaining it—God is her focus not people’s approval

- This is the type of woman who knows her worth and others do as well

- Dedication and commitment are NOT beyond her—they are becoming of her

- She’s not swayed by the challenge ahead; she embraces it

- The crux of the matter regarding the godly woman is that she reverences/fears God

- Beyond any person, issue, standard that the world may throw at her—God is firmly embedded in her lifestyle regardless

- And, God takes notice and so should we…because she is deserving of honor

- Will you pray with me?