Have you ever felt pressured to achieve perfection? Maybe in sports, your job, a relationship standard or even just your personal idea of what a “perfect” person looks like? I’ve been there. Since getting married, I have grown more passionate about what a Proverbs 31 woman looks like. What does a Godly woman look like?
I’ve always pictured someone prim and proper so-to-speak. Perfectly modest and kind. Maybe kind of boring. Soft spoken and encouraging. Someone who everyone can get along with and just LOVE instantly without even trying. To be honest with you, I’ve always felt like the opposite of these things. I’m loud and passionate. I’m goofy and silly. I talk A LOT. And because of some my passions some people often feel challenged when having deep conversations with me. I never felt like that “perfect” woman of God.
In August (2022), one of my best friends gave me a devotional called Secrets of the Proverbs 31 Woman. As soon as I opened it, I felt like God created that book for me. The author talked about the origin of the word “virtuous” and how it was described in Proverbs 31:10.
“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.”
The Hebrew word that was used in the original text of this verse as virtuous is chayil. This word doesn’t just mean virtuous though. It means strong, capable, effective and brave. It was used to describe military armies that were valiant and mighty. That’s pretty different from the boring and dull definition that I felt described the “perfect” Godly woman. It actually is very colorful and vibrant.
As I continued to read this study, I thought a lot about what God tells us in Jeremiah 1:5.
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
God KNEW me. He created me with this passion and goofiness and all of the things that make me so bold, brave, kind, courageous and loud. God created me knowing that one day, I’d be able to use those things for HIS GLORY. He did not make mistakes in how He designed any one of us.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the word obedience. I always know when God places a certain word on my heart for me to learn because I find it repeatedly showing up in my life in all kinds of ways. The other day I was having a conversation with my husband about how I try so hard to be obedient to what God tells me to do. I pray nearly every morning (yes nearly cause I’m not perfect and I forget to pray sometimes) asking God to help me to be obedient to Him and that He would use me as a living vessel to glorify Him. Sometimes though, that heart yearning for obedience can make me feel insecure and small when I enter conversations with people who immediately shrivel at the topic of Jesus (even other Christ followers). I worry too much sometimes about offending people by talking about hard topics or even just by talking about my faith in general. This is when I fall back into believing that somehow God messed up in making me this way. The enemy tries to sneak in and tell me how offensive I am and how I’m not graceful enough to be a true woman of God.
I’m here to tell you today, that:
- God made you with purpose on purpose.
- We ought to strive for obedience over perfection.
Sometimes I walk away from conversations questioning every little thing I said. Hoping that I didn’t make someone feel judged. But to be honest with you, that really isn’t always my problem. There’s a difference in purposely being hateful and nasty to someone and judging them versus having a Christ-filled conversation and someone feeling convicted afterward. I sometimes feel guilty as if I actually have the power to convict someone. Silly me. Thinking I’m even capable of that. The Holy Spirit convicts… not me. So why water down the characteristics God instilled in me that may sometimes challenge conversations?
Truthfully, every deep conversation I have with someone leaves me feeling different. It challenges me just as much as it may challenge the person I talked to. I think this is often God’s way of teaching us and growing us when we are obedient to Him. Obedience to God can be blessed in many ways and it always leaves me wanting to grow more. Today I’d challenge you to have those deep conversations with those around you. Focus less on being perfect. Focus less on possibly offending and focus more on offering understanding and love. Try to walk away learning something new and ALWAYS answer God’s call to obedience.
The Grace-filled Home 