Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
The Proverbs 31 Woman Speaks! (Moms, this is for you.)

The Proverbs 31 Woman Speaks! (Moms, this is for you.)

Last updated on: May 15, 2015 at 9:15 am by Susan Cottrell

The Proverbs 31 Woman Speaks! (Moms, this is for you.) 2015-05-15T09:15:35-05:00 Susan Cottrell

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

pro31

This is a message for all the women weighed down by the Proverbs 31 Woman. Well, she stopped by to clear the record on the book written about her. 🙂 Here she is… in her own words…

For heaven’s sake! What have you done to my story? Here it is, a beautiful poem, and it’s been used as a noose around your neck. It was never meant to be that. You’re cooking and canning, washing and scrubbing, up before the crack of dawn, striving SO HARD to be “practically perfect in every way.” You’re as bad as Mary Poppins!

I am just a person. Good grief. You compare yourself to me as if people are born knowing how to do everything they do. People grow and mature into their roles — we all do. You are growing more amazing every day!

But you MUST stop striving.

Take joy and peace in exactly who you are right now, because you’re exactly who you were meant to be!

You’re exactly where you should be, right now. Don’t look at the best in someone you admire who has matured over time, and compare that to all of your failings. That is a recipe for disaster, depression, shame and self-loathing.

Don’t subject yourself to that — you don’t deserve it.

Now, do you want to know the really worst part of this? I’m not even real. Nope. I am something someone made up. I’m an allegory, a poem, a tribute to wives everywhere!

Did you know that in the Jewish culture, my poem is recited as a tribute to women? Yes! It’s like a toast, a hearty encouragement for women of valor. Did you also know that in the Jewish culture, it is the men who memorize this poem, not the women? Because the men recite it as a tribute to their women. It is meant to cheer you on for what you have done, not point out what you haven’t.

The LAST thing this Proverbs 31 woman is meant to do is to add to your burdens, for goodness sake, to create more of an unrealistic expectation than you already carry.

Seriously, now. Sometimes it’s all you can do just to go through another day — I know.

Celebrate the victory it is for you to be where you are right now. When you compare yourself to others, you diminish both you and them, and you give away your power and your joy.

Take heart! Take my story for the encouragement it is meant to be. Live FROM your accomplishments, don’t live FOR them.

That is, live from the beauty and worthiness that are already yours, instead of trying to attain, or prove, those things.

So raise a glass of wine to you, woman of valor! You are already amazing, beautiful, brave, persistent, courageous, accomplished.

ENJOY the imperfectly perfect you!

Previous Post

May 4, 2015

I Just Want To Be Loved. Is That So Wrong?

Next Post

May 8, 2015 My Family is Using the Bible to Condemn My Gay Son - How Can I Respond?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Church & Religion Dear Susan Family Support Gay Weddings & Marriage GCN Conference Jesus Blog LGBTQ Support Parenting Personal Stories Suicide The Real Jesus Theology Transgender Uncategorized X Archived Posts

Select a Month August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 June 2022 December 2021 May 2021 February 2021 November 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 May 2019 March 2019 January 2019 November 2018 March 2018 January 2018 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the key message of Proverbs about how to live?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Win battles Pursue wisdom Seek power Amass riches

Support this
Column