Keeping up With Proverbs 31

Proverbs 31:10-31
"An Excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
She looks for wool and flax,
And works with her hands in delight.
She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
She rises while it is still night,
And gives food to her household,
And portions to her maidens.
She considers a field and busy it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength,
And makes her arms strong.
She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She stretches out her hand to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor;
And she stretches out her hand to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is find linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits with the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her saying:
"Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord,
She shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates."

To be quite honest, I used to read this passage and freak out.  I have trouble keeping up with school, work and my own housework now.   I come home some days and am not the perfect "How was your day sweety" kind of woman to Wesley as I should be.  Often I find myself looking at the woman in this passage, and looking at myself and just being discouraged.  There is no way I can do all the stuff this woman is doing.  This must mean I am a terrible wife, I mean God gave us this example for us to live up to isn't that right? 


But here's the thing... if we are trying to be superwoman by ourselves, there is no chance we will be able to make it.  After a while we will get tired and we will need to take a break.  It is only through God that we are able to do anything.  God did not write about this woman to discourage us.  He wrote about her to give us an example of what a virteous woman looks like.  This does not mean he expects all of us to be exactly like this woman, why would he make us all unique if he wanted us to all be the same? 

There is a difference between becoming a woman of vitue with God's help versus being superwoman. 



{found here}