As we continue through the book of Proverbs, the passage that we’re gonna look at today is one of my favorites.
She considers a field and buys 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.
~ Proverbs 31: 16-18 Bible Verse
Last week we talked about the saving side of the woman in the text, but today, we’ll be talking about the flip side of the coin, making money.
Believe it or not, there are many women out there who live a very cushy lifestyle. They get to stay home with the kids while their spouse goes off to work and earns the money for the family. They end up feeling very bitter locked up in the house, taking care of screaming kids all day long. The second that the husband opens that door, there is no respect and he’s in for it. She’s ready to pounce. She’s frustrated, she’s tired. It’s been gimme, gimme, gimme all day long. The kids have been fighting non-stop, the house is a mess, and she’s ready to throw in the towel.
I know many women feel like that, because I’ve talked to them, and….because I used to be one. I didn’t care about my husband’s day or how tired he must be, all I cared about was myself and I was not humble at all. “Get these kids off me, they’re driving me nuts!” I yelled at him as one was hanging on my leg and the other from the chandelier. No, not really, but that’s sure what it felt like! lol. I just wanted a reprieve, to rest and have some space. 5 seconds to collect my thoughts, so like a marathon handing off the baton, “you’re up,” I said. My husband never complained. He simply turned on the TV and went into stare mode while the kids basically did what they wanted (within reason, of course).
How to Be Your Husband’s Helpmeet
It wasn’t until I gave my life to Christ that I realized that was no way to live. That things had to change. Suddenly I was called to be his “help-meet,” like what did that mean anyway.
Little by little I learned exactly what it meant. It means there is no baton. That we do things 100% together, as a team, running the same race, at the same time. His role is to make money and support our family. So, if I’m to be a help-meet, that means that if income is too low or I like money to spend on girly things, then I should be willing to make money too, if that is in agreeance with my husband.
You see, the woman of Proverbs 31 didn’t just save money and spend wisely, she also made money. It says, “She considers a field and buys it, from HER earnings she plants a vineyard.” I don’t know how more clear-cut that can be. From HER earnings, she BOUGHT something for THEIR FAMILY, not a piece of jewelry or something for herself. She worked as well to help provide for her family.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a FIRM believer that if a woman is able and her husband is in agreeance, she should stay home with the kids, and we know here in this passage that she did. In many cases in our day and age, it’s CHEAPER to stay home with the kids than for a woman to work outside the home. In her case, she made clothes and belts and sold them. See here in verse 24, “She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies belts to the tradesmen.”
In those days, men and women both wore sort of like this tunic-type clothing, and so sashes, or belts, were very important. How hard is it to run in a long dress? Pretty hard right. You would trip over your own garments. So, her idea was to sell belts. A very entrepreneurial woman indeed! She found something that was of use and needed, met the need, and profited from it. With those earnings, she helped her family. She bought a field and planted a vineyard. I’m sure she already made the family’s clothes, so next would be to have a self-sustainable food source.
I mean, think about it, it really is genius! Clothes, food, and shelter are the 3 basic human needs. She’s got clothes and food covered.
It goes on to say that she sees what she’s done is good. There’s a certain confidence in knowing she is pleasing to the Lord and her husband and helping her mate. Her lamp does not go out at night means that she’s a hard worker. She is always available night and day for her family. They are her utmost priority. You can tell that from this passage. Why else would she work so hard for them? Why not just sit back and expect her husband to do all the work? No, that wasn’t for her. She wanted to help.
For this passage, I’ll camp out here next week as well and show you exactly how I put all of this into practice in my own life when I was married. I hope you are encouraged and get some fantastic ideas that will work for your particular family. Each family is different, but every woman can and should be her husband’s help-meet (helpmate). Next week, we’ll take a much more practical look at that, so stay tuned. 🙂
