The Proverbs 31 Woman- Virtuous AND Capable- Part 1

Proverbs 31 is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible, especially for women. The Proverbs 31 woman seemingly has it all together. She is a virtuous and capable woman who quite frankly exposes the weaknesses of us “regular women.” I remember the first time I read Proverbs 31. I closed my Bible and sighed in frustration. How was I ever supposed to become that? Seeing that this passage of Scripture was described as an oracle gave me hope. This woman didn’t truly exist. She is the ideal woman. A mother’s heart for her boy . . . basically if there was a perfect woman, she would be it.

So instead of feeling depressed and guilty that I didn’t measure up to the “Proverbs 31 woman,” I decided I could learn a lot from her. I took out my journal and began writing. Here are some revelations I want to share with you in a two-part series. Today’s post will focus on the “virtuous woman.” Later, we’ll look at the “capable woman.”

What is a Virtuous Woman?

The word virtuous speaks of someone who is morally excellent or upright. A person who is full of integrity and does the right thing no matter what. A virtuous woman is secure in herself and she does not bend to other’s expectations of her. Unfortunately, our culture doesn’t put too high a premium on being virtuous, but God does.

Character Traits of the Proverbs 31 Virtuous Woman

The Virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 is virtuous both inwardly and outwardly. First we’ll discuss her inward virtuous traits:

Inwardly, the Virtuous Woman Is . . .

• Precious. Verse 10 says she’s more precious than rubies. Being virtuous is rare and hence, valuable.
• Trustworthy- her husband (and shall I add other people) trust her (vs. 11).
• Clothed with strength and dignity (vs. 25). She is regal-like and dignified.
• Confident & Fearless (vs. 25)- The Bible says she laughs without fear of the future. She’s not anxious or a worry-wart
• Careful with her words (vs.26)- She doesn’t stick her foot in her mouth and speak without thinking (Note to self . . .).
• Wise (vs. 26)- She gives good, solid advice, not a regurgitation of the Wendy Williams Show
• Kind with her instructions and directions (vs. 26)
• Top-Notch (vs. 29)- She surpasses all the other virtuous women in the world. Talk about high standards!
• Fears the Lord (vs. 30)- The foundation of the virtuous woman is that she has a healthy respect and fear of God, which enables all the other character traits.

Outwardly, the Virtuous Woman . . . 

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• Enriches her husband/other’s lives (vs. 11)- She makes other people’s lives better off because she’s in it.
• Brings her man good, not harm (vs.12)- No drama queen here! She is good to her man.
• Puts her family first (vs. 15)- The Bible says, “She rises before dawn to make breakfast for her family.” Before the MacBook opens or the Facebook page loads or the daily commute to work, this woman is all about making sure her family is taken care of.
• Helps the poor (vs. 20)
• Well-dressed and keeps herself looking good (vs.22)- I need to devote an entire blog to this! Virtuous women keep themselves looking good. Looks aren’t the most important thing, but they are important. Keep yourselves looking good ladies!
• Her husband is honored (vs.23)- Because of her testimony and the way she carries herself, she brings honor to her husband (see Proverbs 18:22).
• Teaches her children well & they bless her (vs. 28)- The virtuous woman is not afraid to discipline her children and raise them in “the way they should go.” rel=”nofollow”
• Is praised by her husband (vs. 28) I guess so! Look at how well she takes care of him and their family. Ladies, if you want your man to appreciate you, be sure you are honoring and respecting him too!

From my study, I found 9 inward character traits and 8 outward character traits of the virtuous woman. This should tell us that God is more concerned with what’s going on inside of us than what we portray on the outside.

We all can pray for God’s grace to mold us into the virtuous woman he created us to be. What an excellent model of a woman who fears the Lord, gives selflessly and is honored by her family in the process.

Leave your comments below and be sure to read Part 2 of a Virtuous and Capable Proverbs 31 Woman.