Lesson 3 - Proverbs 31: A True Help Mate

Hello Ladies,

I wan to start this week with a little housekeeping.  Initially, I truly appreciate all of you following along and your diligence towards seeking closeness with the Lord. Secondly, I have received many emails and text regarding the ability to "comment" on the blog each week.  I encourage the "comments" because the discussions will allow us to grow spiritually (Proverbs 27:17 NKJV). It has come to my attention that in order to post a "comment" to each blog entry, you must become a follower of the blog in general.  If you decide to become a follower, you have complete control over your information and what you would like to be seen by other viewers.  Additionally, you will not receive annoying random junk mail.  However, you may opt to receive notification when a new lesson has been posted.  So, those are your options.  I hope that you all will take advantage so that we may initiate deep thought provoking discussions.  I personally enjoy all your feedback, questions, opinions, etc., but it would be such a blessing to share with other women.  Therefore, if you would like to "comment" on any of the post whether it is a question, concern, encouragement, testimony, praise, prayer, good, bad, or indifferent, you will need to become a follower of the blog.  I look forward to beautiful and enlightening discussions through the "comments" section of future post.

Now, on to this week's lesson.

With the last two lessons we should have a sturdy foundation to build a house of proverbial womanhood.  We have acquired virtuosity and learned to honor the Lord, our husbands, friends, co-workers, superiors, etc.  God is building us, through His word, to fully obtain the characteristics and the walk of a Proverbs 31 woman.  Now we must do the work!
 
God specifically designed us, women, for a purpose (Genesis 2:18 NKJV).  We must remember that purpose.  It is very easy and alluring to become enthralled by the expectations of this world and not the divine design of the Lord.  We are pressured as women to become just as successful or even more successful than our men.  We are trained to dominate through "girl power" when God specifically indicated in His word that we are the weaker vessel (1 Peter 3:7 KJV).  Additionally, as part of the curse in Genesis 3:16 (NLT), we strongly desire through our sinful pride to control and rule over our husbands while convincing ourselves that we are submitting. 

God requires more from us!  He has given us a plan to live in this world, but to not become of this world (Romans 12:2 NKJV).  Let us review some of the details of God's plan for us.

A True Help Mate

13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for servants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks 18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

Are you genuinely availing all of your efforts, talents, and gifts to benefit your home?  Do you operate in a level of excellence in your gifting?  Do use these gifts to bless the people around you?

While you may not sew, garden, or work outside your home, these scriptures are generalizing a major point that God wants us to understand.  He wants us to spiritually sow, plant, nurture, and harvest.  He is requiring us to apply our gifting, talents, skills, and efforts specifically towards our own homes and loved ones.  God has created us all different (Psalm 139:14 NIV).  We all have something to offer as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God (Romans 12:1 NKJV).

It will be a sacrifice to serve your loved ones the way God intended.  She is one who takes pain in her duties, and takes pleasure in them (Nelson 1997).  You will sacrifice that extra hour of sleep, that extra 20 minutes of television, those 15 minutes you like to chat on the phone with your friend.  God is requiring more discipline from us (2 Peter 1:6 NIV).  We are sometimes caught up on the verbiage of these scriptures, but basically they are just requiring more servitude from us.  Yes! We should cook, clean, keep a good home, be frugal in our spending, work in excellence in our jobs and/or home!  However, GOD WANTS MORE!!  He has given us life and that more abundantly.  Can we not give Him excellence through servitude in return?  Serving our loved ones in Godly manner, blesses the Lord.

Single ladies, you are not excluded!  While the Lord has your Adam in a deep sleep, preparing him while God is working on you.  GET YOURSELF IN POSITION!  Ready yourself for the awakening of your Adam.  Identify your gifts, talents, and skills.  Hone them, so that when the time comes, you are readily prepared for your Adam.  Maintain your existing home, practice those cooking skills, be frugal in your existing income, serve in your church and/or local community, practice honoring others, and most of all BE VIRTUOUS!

Now, if the Lord has commissioned you as a single woman to stay single, then acquire these characteristics so that you may bless others.  This will aid in the overall Kingdom of God.   Be a help mate to the Kingdom of God!

It is always my prayer that the word of God will permeate your hearts as you read these post.  My words are just a conduit for God's purpose for all of us.  I am striving with you on this journey to become my own God form.  The form/design that is His plan, not my own.

I hope that you have been diligent in your time with the Lord.  Whether that is; 20 minutes of silence, waiting in expectation for the Lord, praying, studying the bible, and/or memorizing scripture.  Please continue to actively perform one or all of these exercises.  Consider it to be spiritual calisthenics.  Tone those proverbial muscles!

Additionally, this week we will start a regimen of maintaining our homes to the standards of Proverbs 31.  My personal gage is: Am I able to receive visitors on any day at any given time?  If not, then I've got work to do.  No one is expecting a spotless home, just a tidy one; organized, free of clutter.  A cluttered home breeds a cluttered mind.  So, this week, pick one room and thoroughly organize it.  It doesn't matter which room you start with.  I suggest the first room a visitor may see when entering your home.  DO NOT JUST MOVE THINGS TO ANOTHER ROOM!!   Throw out things that you haven't used in the past year or two.  If you haven't used it then you most definitely will not.  Recycle all that junk mail.  I have a red decorative crate in my dining room.  We throw all of our junk mail in it.  Then on Wednesday it goes into the recycling bin next to the trash for trash day or we take it to local recycling bin.  If you have small children with lots of toys, purchase an inexpensive bin at Dollar Tree, Big Lots, Target, etc.  Teach your children to put their own toys in that bin when they are finished (you are planting).  Then you are leaving a legacy of self-control, discipline, and tidiness (you are sowing).  Everything has its place. If it doesn't and you need to keep it, create a place for it.  YOU CAN DO IT! 

I pray that you all are blessed by this as we continue on this journey together.  We are becoming virtuous women who honors our loved ones, and are God designed help mates of excellence.

Be blessed,

T. Carter

All scripture references were extracted from The Bible - King James Version; New King James Version; New Living Translation; New International Version

Nelson, Thomas (1997).  Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible. Nashville, Tennessee

Nelson, Thomas (1997). The New Strong's Concise Concordance & Vine's Concise Dictionary.  Nashville, Tennessee