Proverbs 31: who I am

Yesterday I wrote a post about  Proverbs 31.

I keep having this gnawing feeling that this passage is easily dismissed by our culture's ideas of modern femininity.

Through the modern lens, it could be easy to resent that this woman's value is derived from her capacity to benefit her husband. It seems very antiquated until you factor in that these words are advice form a mother to her son about what kind of woman to marry.

Frankly, what mother has ever set that bar low for her son? We all hope our sons marry a woman that will love them, be loyal to them, and take good care of them; mind, spirit, and body. Put in that context, the old-fashioned values make sense even in our modern era.

The truth is, the woman in Proverbs 31 is living out the very life Jesus commanded all people, men and women included, to live.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." -John 15:13

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." -John 13:34

When you funnel Proverbs 31 through the gospel, you find that somehow this woman lives for the sake of others, before the great example of the Servant God was ever born in a lowly manger.

That's when she becomes my hero in all the best ways.

That's when she shows us all, men and women, that fearing the Lord and serving with all our might can make us legendary.

That's when I pick up her example and decide to get off Facebook and Pinterest, turn off Duck Dynasty and get some work done.

We are modern women, independent, valued by our society beyond our roles as wives and moms. We have careers, hobbies, and passions that often take us beyond the walls of our home. But those things should never take us beyond the intention of choosing the lowest place when loving and serving our families.

We must never place a higher importance on our culture's values than on the values that Jesus taught. The results of that would be disastrous. Like a ship without an anchor, we would float aimlessly through life, redefining our purpose and value based on how others perceive us.

Do you know who you are? I think I can say who I am:

I am a modern woman who loves an eternal God. I am my husband's equal in God's estimation. I have submitted my life to my husband's leadership, and he has submitted his to my wisdom. I seek to purify my heart of the sin and pride that easily shred my soul at times. I love my family more than I love myself, entrusting my life to the God who sees all. I apologize to my children and my husband when I treat them in ways that are less than loving. I am beautiful because God only makes beautiful things, filling them with His glory and goodness. I sing with my arms raised high and my eyes cast to heaven because more than anything in this world I long for the presence of Almighty God to weave its power in my life. I have laid my life in the hands of the God who loved Hagar, who crowned Esther, who raised up mighty Deborah, who saved the prostitute Rahab, who trusted the pure heart of Mary, who spoke to an unnamed woman at a well, and who had best friends named Mary and Martha. He made me, He loves me, and I am His own.

Writing all that out makes me want to run joyously to God, wrap my arms around Him, and just be with Him. I think that's how you can know if you know who you are. When a good hard look in the mirror sends you to Him full of love, you have hit upon who you are in Him.

Because more than anything our souls must sing this loud and long to be made whole:

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" -1 John 3:1