Present-Day Proverbs 31: Work and Worth for WomenSample

Day Three: Using What's in Your Hands

Not only willing to work, but desirous to do so, this woman truly paved the way for those of us who find ourselves not simply able to work if required, but wanting to.

“She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.” (Proverbs 31:13-14)

There’s no question that this woman was active. Verse 13 in and of itself would have been enough to make this clear. She was a woman who gathered textiles of various kinds from both near and far in order to make clothes for her household. It’s interesting to note that this is not something she does begrudgingly, nor does she look for what’s most convenient. This is completely in keeping with her character, which we’ve been exploring.

This wasn’t about doing ‘just enough’ to get by, this was thinking about the resources available to her and making them work for her and her family as she worked. Now, in the 21st century more than ever before, women are almost just as much a part of the workforce as men. Women are working outside of the home as well as inside it.

What’s more, we currently have more options than ever to create opportunities for ourselves and our families with the skills we’ve been blessed with. This isn’t about presuming that these sorts of opportunities are for others or beyond our own capabilities. My rule of thumb is actually that if we think of or dream up a particular idea, it’s absolutely possible. Beyond that in fact, God can do immeasurably more than we can ask, think, or imagine. (See Ephesians 3:20-21)

The Proverbs 31 Woman certainly didn’t have access to all of the resources which are currently available to us and yet she was hugely industrious. We can learn a lot from this, as well as being challenged to look to what being resourceful looks like for us.

“The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.”” (Exodus 4:2)

When Moses was called, he felt unprepared and under skilled. When we think about the visions God has given us, and the abilities He’s blessed us with, we may find ourselves feeling as though we fall short of what’s required of us too. We may be even more inclined to think like this when we read passages like Proverbs 31. However, just like Moses, we may simply be being prompted to look to what’s in our hands.

For Moses, it was a staff. A staff, which was then used mightily in his ministry.

You don’t have to continually search outside of yourself for opportunities to work, build businesses and beyond. In fact the very skills, abilities and resources which you currently possess may well be exactly what God is asking you to use.