The Ideal Woman

She’s the woman we love to hate: the Proverbs 31 woman.

For one thing, she never seems to sleep: “she rises while it is yet night” and “her lamp does not go out at night.” Her family always has clean laundry (folded and put away in drawers, no doubt)—they are clothed in fine linen and purple, the best materials available.

This woman manages her household with skill and wisdom. On the side she is able to turn a profit in business ventures for the good of her family. In her spare time she cares for the poor.

She’s strong; she’s wise; she’s godly. And she’s intimidating.

For that reason, we sometimes avoid the Proverbs 31 woman. If we were at a party with characters from the Bible, most of us would probably rather hang out with some of the more “flawed” women: Sarah who laughed at God’s promises, or Rebekah who was deceptive, or Martha who was rebuked by our Lord.

It’s an ugly quality in us as women: we sometimes take delight in other women’s weaknesses and avoid those we think are better than us in some way. And who is more perfect than the Proverbs 31 woman?

But God himself has commissioned what Charles Bridges calls this “full-length portrait of the virtuous woman.” We are not to shy away from her in pride because we feel we can’t attain to all her virtues. Rather, we are to humbly admit that while we fall far short of her example, God has called us to learn from her.

The Proverbs 31 woman is not meant to discourage us, but to inspire and encourage us. God desires to make us more like this godly woman. Just as he gives us grace to fulfill all of His commands, so He has provided power to help us resemble this lovely portrait. So let's take a closer look.