To The Churches 23: The Proverbs 31 Woman, Part 5

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We are continuing to look at how the woman described in Proverbs 31 can be used as an example for our own lives in the 21^st century.

Firstly, let’s review what we learned in part four, when we looked at verses 17 and 18: a modern Proverbs 31 woman spends time each day clothing herself in strength. She is strong spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally; and she spends time and effort keeping strong. Her work is profitable and productive. She’s not idle and does all work as unto the Lord.

So, now let’s look at verse 19:

Proverbs 31:19 (NIV)

In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

Have you ever made your own yarn? No? I would bet that almost NONE of us have. But verse 19 offers us a valuable look into the process of making yard and an incredible lesson that can be applied to other parts of our lives today.

In the time period that the Proverbs 31 woman lived in, spinning yarn was an essential part of everyday life. Yarn was required to make clothing and other essential items. The Proverbs 31 woman is making yarn to provide for those in her care. We don’t know if she performed this task herself because she had to or because she simply enjoyed it. But what we do know are several things about her:

She does not have idle hands and she finds useful work to do.
She is dedicated to her task and does it well.
She is focused and not distracted.
She turns the tangled mess of fiber on the distaff into something beautiful and useful.

The word that pops out to me in this verse is “grasps”. This woman has a firm, solid hold on the spindle. Her grasp is not weak or fragile. She is not tentative, hesitant, or uncertain of her task. She knows what she needs to do and focuses on completing the task. She is confident and completes her task with certainty.

So, how can we apply this to our lives today?

We need to lead our life with focus and certainty in what God has called us to do. We are strong and sturdy because God is always with us. God’s presence gives us confidence that we can do all things that He calls us to do. This is true in our business AND our home lives, as things happen that take us outside of our comfort zone or intrude in our lives.

And what else does this verse teach us? It teaches us to be focused and intentional on the tasks we are completing. It is so easy to allow our focus to be diverted. In our culture, FaceBook, Twitter, Pintrest, hundreds of different TV channels are all vying for our attention. These things are not bad in and of themselves, but they can hold our attention too long and become time wasters.

We need to be dedicated, committed, and focused on the tasks we are responsible for. And we need to minimize the things in our lives that divert our attention.

Today’s final thought: A Proverbs 31 woman exhibits excellence in all she does. She does not let distractions keep her from completing her tasks. She is dedicated and focused in order to complete her tasks with excellence.

For more information about Dana and Gary Avant’s ministry, visit www.ToTheChurches.com