As a young
mom, I remember being exasperated by the Prov 31 woman. She is described as the ideal portrait of
Biblical womanhood, and the “personification of wisdom” (even though I bet she
was always exhausted). She was a gal who
seemed to have it all together. She has
always intrigued me, and I must confess, I’ve probably resented her once or
twice. I’ve wondered what her name was,
or if she was cranky before her morning coffee.
I’ve wondered if she ever bounced her checkbook, or hid candy bars in
her closet, so her kids couldn’t find them.
Here’s what I really want to know, how is it that she had time to sew
garments, when I struggle to find the time to floss? Secretly, I’m not sure we could have been
friends. But, as the years of passed, I
have grown to understand her a lot more, and why God shared this passage with
us. She isn’t in the Bible to scorn us,
but to mentor us. So much can be gleaned
from reflecting, and applying her wisdom, and character.
We know from
Scripture that Jesus Christ, was the only perfect, sinless one to roam this
earth. Now, I’m not rejoicing because
the Prov 31 gal wasn’t perfect, but she wasn’t perfect!!!! This means, that she was an imperfect woman,
that served EXCELLENTLY. She
demonstrated honor, faithfulness, and excellence in all that she pursued. I’ve also grown to understand that this gal
wasn’t caught up in the comparison game.
How do I know? One could argue
that she was too busy to be concerned with what others were doing, or how they
were doing it. But, the truth is, she
was clothed in dignity and strength (vs. 25), and she spoke with wisdom (vs.
26). I will talk about dignity in a
moment. First, let’s break down how
destructive perfectionism can be.
Comparison, can fuel perfectionism, which enslaves us to
performance. We can never quite measure
up, and that leads to shame. And shame,
dear one, is the opposite of dignity.
Perhaps you
are wondering how you can have dignity, and strength, despite your chronic
imperfections. I especially love how
Glynnis Whitwer explains what dignity looks like for the Prov 31 gal, she
states, “a woman clothed in dignity is
one who knows who she is in Christ, and chooses to act in ways consistent with
her high calling as a child of God.”
In other words, she chooses to live righteously, pursuing excellence for
her Lord in all she does.
The Apostle
Paul understands his calling too. In
Phillipians 3 he writes:
“Not that I have already obtained it
or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that
for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (vs. 12).
And he
further states:
“I press on toward the goal for the
prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (vs. 14).
So, are you
ready to press on? Here’s some guidance on how we can move
from perfectionism, to striving for excellence:
-Humble yourself before the Lord (James 4:10).
-Abandon comparison (Ps. 16:8).
-Get busy serving the Lord, using the gifts He has gifted YOU with (Luke 4:8).
-Pursue righteousness (Prov. 21:21).
-Ask God for wisdom (James 1:5).
-Commit to the task at hand, not the results (Ps 37:5).
-Rest in God’s grace, knowing in His sovereignty, He redeems all things (2 Cor 12:9).
Girls, the
highest praise, and the deepest freedom belongs to the woman who chooses to
pursue excellence, over perfectionism in her calling.
“Many women do noble
things, but you surpass them all" (Prov. 31:29).
Lord Jesus, help us move from a life
of self-reliance (perfectionism), to a life committed to depending on You, and
serving You, excellently. Only You can
give us the strength and desire to live rightly, and above reproach. May we
long for Your glory and pleasure only. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment