Proverbs- A Virtuous Woman - Part 2

Proverbs 31: 10 -31  is one of the most commented Bible verses when trying to define what biblical womanhood is.Yet it is still left very, unexplored, unstudied and unlearned.

I believe many ladies out there are still wondering what it means to be a woman according to God's design.
It is amusing to think that, for centuries, there was not a shadow of doubt about what a woman was created for, but with the recent phenomenon, which includes embracing everything that God forbids ( homosexuality, abortion, and immorality of all sorts), many young women are left wondering what God intended when He created us, indeed different from men.

Well, It wasn't meant to be that way ( I mean the confusion over the significance and differences of gender ), and I am sorry that many of the Lord's daughters have before them this huge task of learning who they are supposed to be or  become . 

Throughout the centuries girls learnt how to become women with other women. They spent time with their mothers, they spent time with their aunties and grandmothers. Today unfortunately, we  spend a lot of time being a companion of fools  (Proverbs 13:20 ) - mostly people our own age that have little or nothing to add to us. Friendships for the first time are more relevant in shaping one's view of life and identity  than the family God has given us to be part of.  

I believe the greatest task of every godly woman  really interested in pleasing God, is to find out who is she according to her Creator. This is  not going to be an easy task. The world  keeps pressing us to find our identity outside God's word,  and  character qualities so praised in the Bible (virtue,character, wisdom and piety) are words that are not part of our vocabulary or hold very little meaning to us.
(...)

I in myself have very little to offer, except God's word which is so powerful ( Heb 4:12) to search, pierce and teach our hearts that I believe that  if the word of God doesn't  do that in relation to our thoughts and intents concerning womanhood  I don't really know what will ever make us understand it.

I want to remind you also that without faith is impossible to please Him, by faith we understand that the things which we do not see are more important that what we can see ( Heb 11:1-3). What do I mean by that? do you, my dear sister in Christ, believes this day that what God has said about women in His Word, is more important that what the world around us is saying ? Do you believe that fulfilling God's purpose and will  in you life is more important than you " personal achievements" and more important than to prove your "worth" and abilities? Can you today, by your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, understand that "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised"? 

Let me just call your attention to one thing that a Christian woman is called to be: A SERVANT. If we don't get this right  we will never be able to understand the Christian's glad submission and servanthood ( first to our Lord and then to one another); the world's slavery ( which they call women's liberation) will ever seem very appealing to us women of God. Our ways, our dreams and our goals will always be the first in our life and that not being the case, we will see it as "inequality".
Think biblically for a second, we are all called by God to be what HE wills concerning our lives, and whatever HE calls us to be has its limitations. Being an engineer means not being able to be an astronaut ( or at least not very successful in doing both).Being truly a woman means not being a man. (...) Being a "successful" woman is to be the best woman you can be, on women's terms and not be compared to man's standards.Being a virtuous woman doesn't mean doing it all, or having it altogether, it simply means giving priority to God's calling in our lives.

Where to learn about Biblical Womanhood:
So where are going to learn the tools of womanhood? We are  servants of God , and as such all our loyalty lies in true obedience to Him in whatever He has said in His word, the Bible.We cannot and will not understand God's plan to our lives as  women, if we do not submit to Him as obedient daughters. So if we are to start on recommended readings,  I believe we should start with the Word of God.
 Keep it in your heart, meditate upon it until God's word is so clear and so attached to the will and the heart that there is no shadow of doubt or rebellion concerning what God has said. Well Proverbs 31:10-31 is a good start! Add to that:
Gen 2:20- 24
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
 1 Timothy 2:9
 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;  But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.For Adam was first formed, then Eve.And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
1Pe 3:1-6
 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Titus 2:3-5
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
1 Timothy 5:13-14
And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

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I believe the passages above will present a challenge to us, but the Bible does that to our hearts everyday, doesn't it? It pierces it, it acts as a tool in the hands of a very skillful Surgeon that perform the necessary works in our hearts to bring us even more subject to the will of God.

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Well I will also take this time here to add some reading that have shed some light on this issue to me. I hope they will stir up your desire to know more of God's design for a beautiful Christian womanhood.

Please feel free to add to that list whatever good resources you have come across that are in accordance with the Scriptures take we talked about . Also examine everything. The only infallible book in this world is the Bible. The only Master and Lord over us, the Lord Jesus Christ! Don't get your understanding from books or videos or articles, ask yourself always if what it is said it is in accordance with the word of God!
So here it goes:
Good, godly authors include Elisabeth Prentiss, Amy Carmichael, Hannah More, Elisabeth Elliot, Leslie Ludy and so on. There is a lot more authors talking about womanhood but I believe those range from girlhood to young womanhood and the precious years of learning we've been talking about. I find it useful handy to read about women in such different circumstances from one another, but all having in mind that serving Christ is the most important thing to live for.

Short Interesting articles:

Becoming Esther- By Charo Washer

This is a series of short posts on godly women, they are found on this blog  which I believe is a also a good source of book reviews. 

In Christ our Lord