{friday's featured female} :: The Proverbs 31 Woman, vs. 27

Proverbs 31:27- "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

It's January, and in the beginning of each new year we like to talk about fresh beginnings and clean starts. One thing a lot of people do is resolve to be more organized. You'll notice that (along with health food and workout equipment) lots of organizational "stuff" is on sale this time of year. Now is the time to get focused, label things, and make your home all around better.

The Proverbs 31 woman knew the importance of being organized in the home and running it efficiently. She had a good understanding of all that went into creating a comforting and secure environment for her family. From the servants, to the kids, to the small businesses she owned- she was on top of things!

There is honestly no way that we can be lazy in this area and still expect the same results. We admire our Proverbs role model and marvel at her great value- far above rubies, as the Bible puts it. But are we willing to work as hard as she did? Her chapter of praise and admiration did not come easy. I'm sure her life wasn't any smoother than any of ours. The Bible tells us there is nothing new under the sun. I'm quite sure she dealt with the same everyday stresses as we Modern Girls do. She probably had even more due to her culture and environment. (When is the last time you worked by oil lamp light, or wove your own fabric, hmmmm?)

So what exactly does it mean to "look well to the ways of your household?"  I think one important aspect is planning ahead. I read a great post from Coupon Geek this week, who made the goal of taking time to plan. There shouldn't be areas of our homes or finances that are so overwhelming that we don't really know what's going on with them. Even if we have an area that is tough to tackle, like a large debt, we can at least be proactive by knowing things like the total amount due, the payment date, the interest, etc. You would be amazed at how much less stressed you can feel when you have everything on paper.

Have KNOWLEDGE of every aspect of your home. Everyone will have an areas of strengths and weaknesses. Areas of weakness are not an excuse to not "look well to the ways of your household." There are so many valuable resources out there! Some people are not as blessed with domestic skills, but are wonderful with children. Some may not have a desire to be surrounded by a brood of little ones, but are very financially savvy. Consider expanding your knowledge of your weaker areas, and reaching out to help someone else who might need your strengths.

The Proverbs 31 Woman, to me, seemed like a balanced, well-rounded, accomplished woman. She was a wife, mother, business owner, savvy shopper, artist...the list goes on. Before we get discouraged comparing ourselves to her, let's remember a couple of key things: 1. This is a chapter about all of her positive attributes; 2. This was a chapter about all of her accumulated accomplishments throughout her life. She didn't do all of this, all day, every day. It was a lifetime of work. So hang in there, and decide to look well to the ways of your household!