Proverbs 31

Confession, I have started this blog several times, and each time it goes in a different direction. Probably because my mind is in a constant state of pandemonium lately. Errant thoughts and feelings keep working their way to the surface, no matter how much I try to control them. So here's another attempt...

I have been reading Proverbs 31, and I gotta be honest, I don't always measure up. I don't have a clue what flax is much less what to do with it! Not to mention I am so not a morning person. But does that mean I should give up? Absolutely not! Verse 10 says "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies". What woman wouldn't want to be considered "worth far more than rubies" by God and their husband? So how do I go about becoming this prize of a wife? Let's first figure out what it means to be "of noble character".

Today Chris heard a teaching on the radio about the difference between personality and character. The long and short of it was personality you're born with. It's how God made you; your physical, mental, emotional and social characteristics. It's your disposition, sense of humor, your very essence. Character, on the other hand is something altogether different, it can be learned and refined. I found several definitions for character on dictionary.com


qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity
good repute
moral or ethical quality


Honesty seems a good place to start. What may seem like a little white lie leads to a lifestyle of deceit. It should be our goal to live an honest life, speaking the truth even if it's not the popular idea among our friends. That requires us to be courageous. Standing up for what you believe in the midst of adversity is no easy task. But if we are trying to live Biblically, we should know that God is on our side in this! 


To be of good repute: how do others see you? Are you a positive influence on others or do you drag them down. Are you a terrible gossip or use words that you know are unbecoming of a Christian? Do you try to share the reason for your joy or focus on the negative in your life all the time. These are all things to consider.


Moral or ethical quality... what do you do when no one is looking? Does right and wrong only matter when someone is watching you? Even more basic than that, do you know right from wrong in a situation? We should try to use the Bible as our standard of living, not society. The world at large has practically no morals, so even if we are doing well by the world's standards, we may not be living as God would want us to.


I'm not sure how the rest of this will play out, but for now my intention is to dissect several verses from Proverbs 31. Not the whole thing... unless God tells me to and then I would have to be obedient. Until then, I'll be thinking of how to be "of noble character" and encourage you to do the same :)