Fear the Lord

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(Pro 31:30-31)Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

These verses explain what makes the virtuous woman so valuable!

Favour(good deeds, kindness) can be deceitful. Anyone can do good deeds towards others, it doesn't mean they have the right motives. And outward beauty doesn't hold any real value! But what makes her worth more than rubies is her fear of the Lord!

As it is used here, fear means to give honor and reverence to God. Her fear was the reason that she helped those in need, took care of her household and respected her husband. Every action that she took was weighed against God's word.

To be the virtuous woman we must examine ourselves daily to make sure that we have a pure heart and are following all of God's commands! We must strive to please God not man(Acts 5:29). This attitude will make us more valuable than rubies!

Serve Christ

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Via

(Pro 31:29)Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

The virtuous woman excelled. That is, after all, what she strived for. But what made her surpass others? Her attitude! She had the heart of a servant. In all that she did her main goal and desire was to please God!

As a Christian we must become servants of Christ!

(John 12:27)If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

How do we serve Him? By following Him, obeying his commands.

(John 14:15)If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Obey just the commandments that are convenient to us? Or just the ones that we think are a good idea? No, we must obey all His commands!

It's so sad to see those who think that because they keep a few of God's commands that they won't go to hell. I don't understand where they get this logic. If you tell your child to pick up their toys and they only pick up 2 is that good enough? Or are you going to explain that you want them to pick them all up?

Partial obedience is disobedience. We can't just pick and choose what we obey!

Think back on the Israelites moving the ark in 2 Samuel. God had given clear instructions regarding moving the ark when He gave them the instructions to build it. It was to be moved by members of the Levi tribe, carried by poles inserted through rings on the ark. They were not to touch anything other than the poles.(Exodus 25, Numbers 3)

But instead of doing this, they place the ark on a new cart. It was new, so it was probably pretty nice. They must have thought that God would like this new cart. But they hit a bump and the oxen pulling the cart caused it to shake. Uzzah(who was close by) reached out his hand to steady it. Surely his intentions were pure. He was just trying to keep the ark from being damaged. But he disobeyed God. And was killed for violating this command.

We must obey all his commandments! And in order to do this we must be like those Christians in Berea.

(Acts 17:11)These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

They were ready to receive the word-their hearts were open to learning the truth! But they didn't just believe what Paul told them. They searched the scriptures to make sure that what he said was the truth!

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Can't I Just Get A Thank You?

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(Pro 31:28)Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

The virtuous woman has worked hard. She has put so much time and energy into raising her children in "the way they should go" and all that is finally paying off for her. Her children call her blessed, they respect her. But not just her children, her husband praises her too!

Don't you have those days(or weeks, months) where you feel like no one's noticed any work you've done around the house? When, just for a moment, you feel like you're doing all that work for nothing? I do. I think that we all have days like that. Days when we forget that the reason we're doing the work isn't for praise from our children or husbands, and it isn't for an earthly reward. We are doing it because God has commanded us to be keepers of our home(Titus 2:5).

It is so easy to forget this though. We crave a "thank you" from our family, some kind of recognition for our work. Is it wrong to want this? Absolutely not! But if the only reason we're doing the work is for praise, that's an issue. We must work heartily for the Lord, remember that we are serving God by serving our family. He is the one who will reward us. 

(Colossians 3:25) "Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ"

And remember all the things God has done for us and blessed us with. Have you thanked Him?

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Time Management

Via

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(Pro 31:27)She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

The virtuous woman watches her household to make sure they are doing as God would have them to do! She encourages them! She wants to get to heaven and will do everything in her power to make sure she takes her husband and children with her!

We know, both from this verse and those preceding, that she has a lot to do. It could be overwhelming for her!

But notice this verse says she eats not the bread of idleness. She doesn't just sit around when there's work to be done. She manages her time well and we must do the same! How can we do this? Here are a few tips:

• Make a list of what needs to be done each day. It may help to have a cleaning schedule for each week.
• Put a * by the most important items, the one that must be done no matter what. These may include quite time/prayer, time with family, meals, ect.
• Check with your husband to see what he considers to be important, or if there's anything that he needs done. I know my husband would much rather have a hot home cooked meal than a spotless house!
• Make a schedule of your day, setting aside time for each item that needs to be done(start with the important ones!)
• Be flexible! Don't stress out if its 9am and you were supossed to be cleaning the bathroom by 8am! It's okay if you don't follow your schedule exactly! It's okay if you don't get everything done-those dishes can wait til tomorrow!
• Set time limits for things like email, Facebook, blogging. I don't want to count the number of time I sat down to get online for just 10 minutes and ended up spending much longer! We can completely loose track of time!
• Make time for yourself! This is one of those important things! We must take time to recharge(both mentally and physically)! So take a few minutes each day, grab a cup of sweet tea, and relax! 

What do you do to help manage your time? Share below! :)

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Slow to Speak

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Via

(Pro 31:26)She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

The virtuous woman helps others, makes clothing for herself and her family, and so much more. Not only does she do those thing she tackles the most difficult beast to tame-her tongue (James 3:5-8). She speaks with wisdom and kindness. Does she let her overwhelming tasks get the best of her? No, she does not allow the stress to take over, to loosen her hold on her tongue. 


Oh what a hard task this is sometimes. It is easy to just say what's on our mind. Just as we use a filter to keep the grinds out of coffee we must filter our speech! How do we do this? 

(James 1:19)Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

We must be slow to speak, think about what we're saying. I love the picture to the left! It is such a good tool to use when deciding if we should say something!

We also need to be careful in the way we say something. Once we say something we can't take it back, only seek forgiveness for what we've said. Hurtful words can leave an impression on others. If someone's doing something wrong we can let them know in a way that says we love and care about them. And we need to be sure that we're not coming across as having an "I'm better than you" attitude. We should use constructive criticism.

I'm reminded of a song:

O be careful little mouth what you say
O be careful little mouth what you say
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So, be careful little mouth what you say

Have you been slow to speak?

Linking up with these blogs: Raising Mighty Arrows, Raising Homemakers, Good Morning Girls, Women Living Well, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, Our Simple Farm, 

Laugh Without Fear

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Via

The virtuous woman clothes herself with strength and dignity. We've read about her outward garments and now we read here about her inward "clothing", the virtues she adds to her life. Let's take a closer look at each and why we should clothe ourselves with them.

Strength:  the quality or state of being strong; capacity for endurance; power of resisting attack; one regarded as embodying force or firmness 

The ability to endure is one that every Christian needs to have! We must be ready to endure, to persevere. The race of our Christian life is not an easy one, nor did God say it would be. Our eyes need to stay on the goal-Heaven! I think Paul said it best (Philippians 4:13-14) "...but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

The ability to resist attack is another virtue everyone needs. We must be ready against our "adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour."(1 Pet 5:8). Now I don't know about you, but if I knew there was a roaring lion in my neighborhood I would be prepared! Think about all the steps you would take to protect your family! But the devil is out there, ready to attack us any chance he can get! Prepare yourselves-study, pray, avoid situations where temptation may arise! Can we avoid it all? No, but when those temptations do arise remember that God will give us a way of escape!

Dignity: the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed

Do you ever feel unworthy, useless? I think that is something that we all struggle with from time to time. But as a dear friend reminded me in a recent devotional-our worth comes from above! We must be careful not to judge our worth by what others think. God thought that we were worth sending His only Son for us even though we were sinful! (John 3:16, Romans 5:8-9)

Now notice the last part of the verse "she laughs without fear of the future". She can do this because she has clothed herself with strength and dignity. We don't have to worry about what's going to happen in the future. God has a plan! It may not be what we had planned but He knows what's best for us! 

(Romans 8:28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

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Strive for Excellence

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Via

(Pro 31:24)She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

The virtuous woman not only spins wool & weaves the fabric to make clothing for herself and her household; she also makes linen to sell! But notice the word "fine" she makes the best quality she possibly can! She strives for excellence!
Today we seem to have a the faster the better mentality. We rush through things, many times with out giving them the time they deserve. This can be detrimental to us. When at a local christian bookstore recently, I saw a book that was full of 1 minute devotionals. Not let me go a head and say, I don't think there's anything wrong with these type books. But if we're only spending 1 minute in God's word a day that's an issue! We have to make time for studying! 
What about other things, like cleaning? Is getting through with other things fast bad? Not at all, as long as we are doing our best! We must remember that we are to do all things "for the Lord"! Yep, we must heartily scrub those floor and fold those clothes!  This means not grumbling or complaining about our work! This is something I struggle with sometimes. It's easy to fall into complaining about the work to be done. Here are a few things I like to do to help that not happen:

• Have some soft music playing-classical music, hymns, something that will keep you relaxed.
• Sing while you work(or whistle :))-I like singing along when I have hymns playing. Helps me to keep my mind on the right track. (Phil 4:8)
• And if you start thinking about complaining-pray! 

What do you do to make sure you are working "for the Lord"?

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Talking About Your Husband

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Via

(Pro 31:23)Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

The virtuous woman's husband is well known among the men. What does this have to do with her? What can we learn from this verse?

We know that she is trustworthy. He trusts his wife with all things including his reputation.  She handled this responsibility carefully and made sure that she did not tarnish his reputation.
How did she do this?

She spoke only good things of her husband. Was he perfect? No. Did do things that upset her? I'm sure he did! But she didn't tell everyone about them!

(Pro 14:1)Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

When a group of women get together often talk goes to life at home. How easy it is for us to say "Let me tell you what my husband did..." It seems like with some this even turns into a competition, trying to see if they can beat the others stories. We must refrain from doing this! We must be slow to speak!

(James 1:19)Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath 

That's a tough one sometimes. Taming our tongue is not easy but we must work at it!

(Pro 16:28b)a whisperer separates the best of friends

Speaking badly of our husband can damage our relationship. Think about how you would feel if your husband told his friends some of the things you did wrong! Many don't think about this! We can't forget it though. It's far too easy to get caught up in the moment when others are speaking of their husbands. We have a few options here: keep quite, leave the conversation, or say something good about your husband!

Make sure your husband is known by the good things he's done and not the bad! :)

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Inward Beauty

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(Pro 31:22, ESV) She makes bed coverings for herself;    her clothing is fine linen and purple.  

The virtuous woman makes sure that her family and guests are well provided for. By making these coverings she provides them with comfort and protection from the elements.

We also read here of her clothing-fine linen and purple. This linen, or silk as some translate it, was fabric of the highest quality. Purple garments were costly as well. She wore the best that she could make. But she didn't wear purple linen because it was popular. She wore it as a reflection of her inward beauty. She knows where true beauty comes from-the heart! (Pro 31:30)

We must be careful in our dress! Is it wrong to wear the latest fashions? Not as long as they're modest! Is it wrong to wear what's "in" so that others will be envious of us or so that we can boast about wearing them? Yes! We should make sure that inward beauty is what we strive for!






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Be Prepared

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via

(Pro 31:21)She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

The virtuous woman, yet again, puts others before herself. It isn't something we can just do once and check it off the to-do list. Putting others first must be done daily! 


Why was she not afraid of the coming snow? She was prepared! She knew that cold was coming and did everything she could to make sure her family was protected. The word here translated scarlet can also mean double garments. I think this is a more appropriate translation of the word, as wearing one color isn't any warmer than any other. She had to make sure that her household had enough clothing to keep warm. Remember how much work that is for her? I'm sure it took her a long time to prepare for her entire household! 


Today it isn't as hard for us to prepare for winter. Most of us can simply run to the store and pick up what we need. And although preparing our families for winter is important, there is something much more important that we must make sure our family is prepared for-the judgement. 

(Heb 9:27)And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

This is the most important thing we will ever prepare ourselves for! Make sure you are prepared!

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Help Those Less Fortunate

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(Pro 31:20)She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

Last time we looked at the virtuous woman we talked about not taking our blessings for granted. How fitting that the next verse talks about helping others. There are a couple of lessons we can learn from this.

First, notice the word her: She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She didn't sit around and wait for anyone else to help; she took initiative! Often today we hear people saying, "Helping the poor is the church's job". What they mean is, "The elders and deacons of the congregation I attend should be doing that!" While this is an important part of the congregations work, we also have a individual responsibility to help. (Mat 25:35-45) This story describes our society well:

This is a story of four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it

was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

We must not forget our responsibility to help those who are in need!

Another lesson we can learn is what to give. Yes, there are those out there who need food, water, clothing, or shelter. But do they also have greater needs?

(Mat 16:26)For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Give them what they physically need and take that opportunity to share God's word with them! Give them a Bible, invite them to church with you, study with them, and ask if you can pray for them! I love this idea for a blessing bag.

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Count your Blessings

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(Pro 31:19)She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

Have you thought lately about just how easy we have it? If we need new clothes we can just run down to the store and pick them up. But here we read about the virtuous woman spinning her own thread. My guess would be that this is why she was looking for wool(Pro 31:13). Spinning thread is something that I'm not very familiar with so I headed to the dictionary:

spindle : a round stick with tapered ends used to form and twist the yarn in hand
distaff : a staff for holding the flax, tow, or wool in spinning

But the work doesn't end there. Then she would have to weave the thread into cloth and sew the clothes. I'm sure she didn't do all of this in one day but that's still a lot of work!

How often do we take blessings like this for granted? Probably more often than we'd like to admit. God has blessed us with in so many ways. We must take the time to thank Him!

(Eph 5:20)Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Won't you take a few minutes today to make a list of some of your blessings and thank Him?

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Get Your Priorities Right

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(Pro 31:18)She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

The virtuous woman gets up early and has plenty to do to keep her busy all day. Think how tired she must be extremely tired at the end of her day. But her work doesn't stop at nightfall! She is prepared to work at any hour!

Now this verse isn't saying that we should not sleep until all the laundry is washed and put away and every inch of the house spotless.(And I am so thankful for that! I might be up all night tonight!) It's not hurting anything to put off scrubbing that bathroom until tomorrow. What will hurt you is procrastinating on the important things like bible study or prayer.

Unfortunately, many today think they are too busy to take time for study or prayer. But how often to these same people make time to watch their favorite show on TV or to go check out that big sale they're having at the mall? We must make sure that we have our priorities right! (Matt 6:19-21)

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How does she do it?

(Pro 31:17, ESV)She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.

The virtuous woman has a lot to do! How does she do it all? She prepares her self for the work to be done! She must make sure she is able both mentally and physically do the tasks of her day. This is another instance where getting up early will help. Set aside some time to plan out your day. I do this by making a list. (I love lists and make them for everything! Without them I get stressed that I'm forgetting something.) If your day is extremely busy prioritize what must be done today and what wouldn't hurt to be done tomorrow. This way you won't become overwhelmed. And remember your not superwoman! Don't bite off more than you can chew!
After you have your day planned pray! Pray for strength and for patience for when things don't go the way you planned.

(Isa 40:28-31, KJV)28Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

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Fruit of Her Hands

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(Pro 31:16) She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

She conforms to the will of God, she's trustworthy, does good to her husband, works willingly, shops wisely, and puts the needs of others before her own. Not only does the virtuous woman do these things but she also looks for ways that she can help her husband provide for their family.
We read here of her buying a field but notice what she does before she buys it. She considers the financial burden of the field and supplies needed to plant the vineyard, and determines that it is worth the payout. Although we're not told here, I'm sure this step also involved discussing this purchase with her husband. I can't imagine how many arguments have came up because of people not discussing large purchases with their spouse.
Now she leaves all the hard work to her husband because let's face it she's a busy lady. No, she plants the vineyard with her hands! Remember she's willing to work. Can you imagine the time she put into this? I'm sure this was not an easy task, mentally or physically, but she was willing to endure it for her family!

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JOY

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(Pro 31:15) She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

The virtuous woman puts the needs of others above her own. She is willing to give up a few more minutes of sleep to provide food for her household and her servants. As Christians this should not be a new concept for us. There are many scriptures that tell us that we should put others before our self. We must make sure we have our priorities right! When I taught bible class, we sang a song using the acronyms JOY:J-Jesus O-others Y-yourself
But getting up early isn't just for your family. Doing so allows you some quiet time with God, time to plan your day and get a jump start on it! I feel like I get so much more accomplished when I begin my day earlier. It isn't easy for me to get up early though. I have to work at it! I enjoy going to bed the same time as my husband and he's a night owl!(Ok so hubby would like me to add that he's not a night owl, just likes to stay up late! Sounds like the same thing to me! LOL) It's a lot harder to get going in the morning without enough sleep!

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Seeking Out the Best

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(Pro 31:14) She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

Wait a minute! Being virtuous involves shopping? I think I can handle this part! But the Virtuous woman doesn't just settle for what is convenient; she shops wisely! I think there were probably nearby markets for her to purchase food from. Why didn't she just buy her food locally? Was it because she couldn't find what she needed? Maybe. Because it was much more expensive? Maybe. Or was it just not good quality? Any of these options would work. But the point isn't why she didn't just settle for what the local market had. The point is she was willing to seek out what was best for her family!
Notice that she brought her food from afar. Now, remember that there were no refrigerators back then. She most likely had to go to the market several times a week. Then there's the transportation. It's very likely that she had to walk and if that isn't enough she had to carry all her goods back. Oh how easy we have it today! I'm not saying grocery shopping is easy(especially not 5 days before Christmas at 6PM-but that's another story)! It takes time and patience.




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Willing to Work

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(Pro 31:13) She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

So far we have discussed that the virtuous woman must conform to God's will, be trustworthy, and do good to our husbands. The next quality that we must posess is to be willing to work with our hands.

We have it so much easier than the woman we read about it Proverbs 31 did! She had to search for wool and flax to make yarn and fabric to clothe her family with. Not only did she do these things but she did them without complaining. How often do we complain about having to run to the store to get something? Probably more often than we would like to realize! Webster's defines willing as "inclined or favorably disposed in mind".
We must make sure that we have the proper attitude when working with our hands! We should work as if we are doing it to please God not ourselves or our families!

(Col 3:23) And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

Oh what a big role our attitude plays in our life!

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What to Do?

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(Pro 31:12) She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.

Reading this verse, the first thing that popped out to me was the word "does". To be a virtuous woman we must do! Now, if you're anything like me there's a little part of you that's thinking "Great! Something else to add to my mile long to-do list." We must be careful to think this way! Yes, we're busy. However, we must make sure that our priorities right daily! This verse is referring to doing something for our husbands. So often jump at the opportunity to do something for a friend or neighbor. Our husbands should come second to only God! We should be just as eager to do for them!

But what should we do? The verse states that she "does him good and not evil". This brings to my mind Adam and Eve. Eve didn't do as the virtous woman when she offered Adam the fruit. She was doing him harm. We must be cautious not to put our will above God's as Eve did. We must do that which is good to our husbands instead!

This isn't a task that you do once and then check it off your list, however. It is something we must continue doing as long as we live!

Linking up with these blogs:Time-Warp Wife, Our Simple Country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows, Women Living Well, Raising Homemakers

Can He Trust You?

 Just joining in our Proverbs 31 study? Click here to read more!  

(Pro 31:11) The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

When a main completely trusts his wife, he doesn't lack anything of value. This makes the need to be trustworthy extremely important to our relationship with our husband! We must be sure that our husbands can trust us in all areas in life.

• Finances-Can you be trusted to spend wisely and show good stewardship of the financial gifts God has blessed your family with?  Sit down with your husband and discuss your budget(or set one if you don't have one!). For larger purchaces, if the price is larger than a certain amount(ex. $100) discuss buying with spouse.
• Home-Can you be trusted to run an orderly home? Ask your husband what he expects when he comes home. I know my husband would much rather have a  hot meal on the table rather than a spotless house when he comes home!
• Faithful-Can you be trusted to be faithful to your husband? This is a big one! If this trust isn't there it can cause a lot of problems in your marriage. Ask your husband if there is anything you can do to strengthen this trust.
• Emotional-Can you be trusted to control your emotions? The first thing that come to my mind when I think of this is controling our temper. Of course that is one of our emotions we must control! But there are others as well-anxiety, stress, sadness. Don't take this the wrong way-we should tell our husbands how we feel. There is a time and a place to do so!
• Reputation-Can he trust you with his reputation? It seems some women only have bad things to say about their husbands. Don't be one of these women!! No-our husbands aren't perfect! But neither are we! Do you want him to run out and tell all his friends your flaws? Didn't think so-so don't do it to him. Instead say positive things -build him up.

We all have flaws; we will fail to do these things sometimes. We must strive to be trustworthy in all areas every day!