What are You Worth? (Part One of a Three Part Series on Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman)

“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies” (Proverbs 31:10).

It’s December, 2014 in old town Jerusalem and I am intently listening to a Jewish scholar share his wisdom about Israel. Somehow, the name of my ministry, Pearls of Promise, came up and he said. “You know the Proverbs 31 where it says it says a woman’s worth is far more than rubies?”

“Yes.”

“Well the original Hebrew translation used the word ‘pearls’ rather than ‘rubies’ but it was changed.”

“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than pearls.”

Of course, it was edited, because a pearl is formed in a bottom dwelling oyster. Very unclean in the Jewish tradition; a ruby is much more tolerable.

But as I chewed on this revelation, I realized the word, “pearl“ is the most appropriate word to describe a wife of noble character or any woman, married or unmarried.

A pearl is formed over time through gritty irritation in an oyster shell. It takes ten to twelve years to let nature do its work.

That tells me the Proverbs 31 woman is far from perfect, but it is what she does with those imperfections that form something beautiful. It is what gives her worth.

Perhaps you know what I am talking about. What have you been through that has made you into the beauty you are?

Did your trial seem like it would never end?

I also found something interesting when I looked up the phrase “noble character” in the Hebrew. The Hebrew word for noble character is “hayil.” It also means “army,” “troop,” and “warrior.”

So putting this together, have you allowed all the trials in your life to transform you into a warrior?

In your life?

In your marriage?

Or is the baggage that you carry dragging you and others down and not so beautiful?

Dear sweet warrior, do you back away from trouble in your marriage or life or do you fight?

Do you fight for your children?

Grandchildren?

Do you fight for the integrity of your family?

Do you display noble character?

All relationships will experience trials. They are inevitable. But after 29 years of matrimony, I have found the best way we can be a Proverbs 31 warrior wife is on our knees. Proverbs 31:12 says, a wife brings a husband “good, not harm, all the days of her life.”

When we complain about our spouse’s or loved ones’ shortcomings to others rather than to God, their image is damaged in other people’s eyes. We might work out the troubles that we are complaining about but our family members are forever tarnished and disrespected.

Through prayer, we need to go to God with our concerns.
Sometimes when our family issues seem overwhelming, Psalm 18:16 tells us the Lord will reach down and draw us out of the deep waters that threaten to overcome us.

“He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me” (Psalm 18:17-19).

God delights in you as well. He loves you and wants you to live victoriously in your life and in your family role.

Will you allow him to transform you into a beautiful pearl?

Are you ready to be a person of noble character, a warrior?

That’s the first step to being a Proverbs 31 woman. But it can only be attained through the grace and strength that comes through faith in God and his Son, Jesus Christ.

In this New Year, choose to be a warrior. Thank God for the pearls that have come out of your hardships and then begin to claim your role as a Proverbs 31 woman.

Part two is Tuesday.