This past weekend I shared some encouragement on being a ‘worker at home’ (Titus 2:3) with a group of wives of seminary students. It is a timely topic whatever stage of life one is in, and the reminder of God’s value and priority of it is needed even for ‘older’ women.
I began with a fictional letter that was ‘written’ by the Proverbs 31 Woman clarifying some misperceptions about her image. I’ve posted the first half for your benefit below. Read it for some realigned focus in perspective.
I’ll complete the letter in my next posting.
Dear “Worker at Home” ,
Yes, this letter is from me—the very well known: Proverbs 31 woman. It’s probably best you don’t know my name, otherwise, there’d be a rash of baby girls given that name & how’d you like to grow up under that pressure?!!
It has come to my attention that you will be discussing the very challenging topic of being a worker at home. Frequently in such a discussion, the example of the Proverbs 31 woman is heralded. I am well aware that my reputation, a woman with her arms of strength, tongue of kindness, clothing of purple, children who bless her, husband who praises her, who runs a successful home business while being an an early riser and a late night worker, can be a bit…shall we say….daunting. One brave soul I knew well confided, “if you weren’t such a dear friend, I’d put your etched image up & practice javelin throwing at it! You are just too perfect!”
I don’t take offense at this; I empathize with this sense of inadequacy at the large task in God’s design for women. But, may I offer up a few considerations to help clear up some misperceptions? I think, too, it might restore hope & beauty when you hear this chapter referenced instead of discouragement…will you listen briefly? I think you’ll agree my points are solidly supported by the rest of God’s Word:
#1 – These 22 verses reflect a summary of my life’s focus & God’s beautiful design in it. Think of it like taking a woman’s whole life, decades & decades, and pulling out her 22 best days, and then assuming this snapshot represented all her days! There were plenty of struggles, failures & ho hum didn’t do so great today days, too! It’s like having a handful of perfect hair day photos sent to a stranger and having her assume you’ve beautiful hair all the time…hardly true! What of the humid frizz top hair day, the too short of a cut hair day, the didn’t have time to wash it today hair day or the help, it’s my mother’s hair! bad hair days?!! They didn’t get included, but they certainly were part of the real total picture! I’m very thankful, don’t get me wrong, that my failings weren’t recorded for all time in this chapter, but there were many, many fall down on my scarlet bustle days that didn’t make the Proverbs 31 listing.
#2 – Don’t sweat the small stuff. You’ll probably be tempted in this type of discussion as a worker at home to compare how to best clean camel droppings off the side of a tent, or how to keep warts from spreading when all 11 of your sons share the same bed roll, or what mushroom enhances the flavor of your husband’s recent kill so you can make the tastiest stew---all this has its place. But, what God cares about most, and what makes a home a place of rest & fellowship reflecting the goodness of God, is in the heart of a woman as God changes her to reflect Him. And this is not found in the possession of a skill or even in the most accomplished efficiency in homemaking, it is found in pursuing God as the keeper of your heart, of loving him supremely, and serving Him sacrificially. The rest, really will then, with attention & patience, move into place.
I began with a fictional letter that was ‘written’ by the Proverbs 31 Woman clarifying some misperceptions about her image. I’ve posted the first half for your benefit below. Read it for some realigned focus in perspective.
I’ll complete the letter in my next posting.
Dear “Worker at Home” ,
Yes, this letter is from me—the very well known: Proverbs 31 woman. It’s probably best you don’t know my name, otherwise, there’d be a rash of baby girls given that name & how’d you like to grow up under that pressure?!!
It has come to my attention that you will be discussing the very challenging topic of being a worker at home. Frequently in such a discussion, the example of the Proverbs 31 woman is heralded. I am well aware that my reputation, a woman with her arms of strength, tongue of kindness, clothing of purple, children who bless her, husband who praises her, who runs a successful home business while being an an early riser and a late night worker, can be a bit…shall we say….daunting. One brave soul I knew well confided, “if you weren’t such a dear friend, I’d put your etched image up & practice javelin throwing at it! You are just too perfect!”
I don’t take offense at this; I empathize with this sense of inadequacy at the large task in God’s design for women. But, may I offer up a few considerations to help clear up some misperceptions? I think, too, it might restore hope & beauty when you hear this chapter referenced instead of discouragement…will you listen briefly? I think you’ll agree my points are solidly supported by the rest of God’s Word:
#1 – These 22 verses reflect a summary of my life’s focus & God’s beautiful design in it. Think of it like taking a woman’s whole life, decades & decades, and pulling out her 22 best days, and then assuming this snapshot represented all her days! There were plenty of struggles, failures & ho hum didn’t do so great today days, too! It’s like having a handful of perfect hair day photos sent to a stranger and having her assume you’ve beautiful hair all the time…hardly true! What of the humid frizz top hair day, the too short of a cut hair day, the didn’t have time to wash it today hair day or the help, it’s my mother’s hair! bad hair days?!! They didn’t get included, but they certainly were part of the real total picture! I’m very thankful, don’t get me wrong, that my failings weren’t recorded for all time in this chapter, but there were many, many fall down on my scarlet bustle days that didn’t make the Proverbs 31 listing.
#2 – Don’t sweat the small stuff. You’ll probably be tempted in this type of discussion as a worker at home to compare how to best clean camel droppings off the side of a tent, or how to keep warts from spreading when all 11 of your sons share the same bed roll, or what mushroom enhances the flavor of your husband’s recent kill so you can make the tastiest stew---all this has its place. But, what God cares about most, and what makes a home a place of rest & fellowship reflecting the goodness of God, is in the heart of a woman as God changes her to reflect Him. And this is not found in the possession of a skill or even in the most accomplished efficiency in homemaking, it is found in pursuing God as the keeper of your heart, of loving him supremely, and serving Him sacrificially. The rest, really will then, with attention & patience, move into place.
(Watch for her final two points as she concludes…)
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