The Proverbs 31 woman is one to be admired.
The virtuous woman is wise, she loves the Lord, and does her best to live out the will of God in her life. I dare say we all desire that these things be said of us one day. Throughout the chapter of Proverbs 31 (verses 10-31) many descriptors are given of this woman of virtue; how she lives her life, how she serves her family, and how she is a blessing to all those who know her. If I had to choose one verse from the chapter to summarize this woman, I would pick verse 27.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:27
A virtuous woman who is trustworthy (vs 11), strong (vs 17), confident (vs 18), hardworking (vs 19), and wise (vs 26) is not a lazy woman! She works hard, and is diligent with all she does. She does not eat the bread of idleness, and in doing all these things, she looks well to the ways of her household.
What are the “ways of our households”?
These ways may be different for each of us, as we are all in different phases and situations in life. However, one thing we all share is a desire to have a healthy family. Good health is so important for so many reasons! I bet if I took a poll of all the households represented in our Church, the majority would say that it is the wife, or the Mother of the family who does most of the worrying about her family’s heath. This is normal. We are the nurturers in the home. That is how God designed us!
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
When looking well to the health and wellness of your household, consider these areas:
- Healthy diet – there is no substitute for healthy eating. We all know what we put in is what we get out. This can be applied to our physical lives, as well as our spiritual lives. Verses 13, 15, and 16 of Proverbs 31 tell us the virtuous woman was concerned with what she fed her family.
- Physical activity – get up and moving! You don’t have to join a gym, but we shouldn’t allow ourselves to become couch potatoes either. Moms, make sure your children are active and not glued to a screen. It’s so easy to let the screen time get carried away.
- Chemical load – The Proverbs 31 woman grew and made many things with her own hands. She knew where her family’s goods came from. This is not always practical today, of course, but research some of the common things used daily in your home. You would be amazed at all the toxins we unknowingly put on and in our bodies on a regular basis. This is one reason our family got into using essential oils several years ago. Consider making some small healthy swaps when it comes to your household cleaners, air fresheners, body lotions, deodorant, etc. Do your research, don’t “eat the bread of idleness”.
- Regular checkups, dental visits, chiropractor, etc.- Again, here is where Mom is usually the one responsible for keeping up with and scheduling everyone in the family for their necessary appointments. Proactive care and ‘preventive maintenance’ of our bodies is much nicer to deal with than reactive care and ‘repairs’.
How do you look well to the ways of your household when it comes to healthy living? Share with us in the comments!