Ok, good! You're back. How are you today? I hope you are doing great and that your weekend was amazing!
I definitely enjoyed mine. I spent the weekend at my family's farm. I, of course, spent time with my mom, dad, and brother, but I also made sure to snuggle with a giant Pyrenees pup, love on a skittish horse, talk to a spoiled-rotten piglet, and hold a fuzzy little chick. I have no desire to own my own farm, but I sure do love being there when I go!
My mom does a great job with those animals. Because of extenuating circumstances, she has to do almost all the farm work by herself right now and she makes sure her animals are in tip-top shape. She works her booty off and I am very proud of her!
That's one of the things I admire about my mama. She is such a hard worker and always has been. If she sees that something isn't finished, she gets up and makes sure it is done before she sits down to rest.
The Ideal Woman
In Christian circles, we tend to hear a lot about the Proverbs 31 woman. She is sort of the "ideal woman". Her husband has full confidence in her (v. 11), she invests her money (v. 16), she has strength and dignity and is not afraid of the future (v. 25), and she speaks with wisdom (v. 26). And throughout the entire description of this woman, it constantly speaks to how hard of a worker she is. She is not idle (v. 27).
Can We Measure Up?
This woman honestly comes across as super-woman. I don't compare. And actually, I know very few people who even come close. But this is a model for how a Christian woman should live: wise, kind, trust-worthy, and hard-working.
None of these qualities are better than another, and we should strive for them all. But I do notice while reading through Proverbs 31, that the constant theme is how this woman is always working, always using her abilities.
She doesn't sit around eating bon-bons, binge-watching Netflix. I'm sure she rested. It's biblical to rest and have leisure time, but the author of Proverbs seemed to be most impressed with this woman's work ethic. Which says to me: I need to get my butt in gear!
She doesn't sit around eating bon-bons, binge-watching Netflix. I'm sure she rested. It's biblical to rest and have leisure time, but the author of Proverbs seemed to be most impressed with this woman's work ethic. Which says to me: I need to get my butt in gear!
Self-Evaluation is Key
Don't get me wrong, I am not somehow condoning a legalistic view of this passage of scripture. Rest, take care of yourself, and enjoy life. But take time to evaluate whether you are a hard worker. Do you do everything to the best of your ability? Do you reject
laziness and take care of the matters of your home and your business, or do you simply do what you must to get by?
laziness and take care of the matters of your home and your business, or do you simply do what you must to get by?
Sadly, I know that I am on the bad end of those descriptions. Thankfully, I have a mom who models the other side of the spectrum. She isn't perfect, but she is a good example of Christlike character in this area and in others too.
What about you? Where do you fall in all of this? Are you a hard worker? What do you do to make sure you keep working hard? And if you aren't, what can you do to improve?