“Priceless!”
Proverbs 31:10-31
Motherhood – nothing to it, right? Just think about all we know concerning it. Consider these answers given by elementary-age children to the following questions. “Why did God make mothers?” “Mostly to clean the house.” “To help us out of there, when we were getting born.” “How did God make mothers?” “God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.” “Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mom?” “We’re related.” “God knew she likes me a lot more than other people’s Moms like me.” “Why did you Mom marry your Dad?” “My grandma says that Mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.” “What’s the difference between Moms and Dads?” “Dads are taller and stronger, but Moms have all the real power ‘cause that’s who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.” “If you could change one thing about you Mom, what would it be?” “I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on her back.” Motherhood - nothing to it, right?
Or consider what we know from an ancient wise king in Proverbs. Good mothers sew, make clothes, buy and prepare food, rise up before dawn, buy property, plant and tend gardens and vineyards, trade profitably, clean the house, teach with wisdom, and love their work. Motherhood - nothing to it, right?
Ruth Hampton once wrote, “The most influential position in the nation today is held by a woman. She enforces law, practices medicine, and teaches – without degree, certificate of competence, o=r required training. She handles the nation’s food, administers its drugs, and practices emergency first aid. This for all the spiritual, physical, and mental ills of the American family. A man literally places his life and the lives of his children in the hands of this woman – his wife.” Motherhood - nothing to it, right?
So just what can we say about motherhood? For that matter, what can we say about what it means to be a godly mother, and a godly woman? A clearer understanding Scripture can guide us, so we turn to Proverbs 31, where we see, first of all, THE COST OF A GODLY WOMAN. Verse 10 reminds us that such a woman is A RARE FIND. “A wife of noble character who can find?” While the text talks about a wife, the bottom line is that it is about to describe a godly woman who has become a wife and mother. So what we are about to consider applies to all women. The word ‘noble’ means virtuous or fine. When applied to men it means valor. Such valorous women, says the king, are rare.
In fact, they ARE PRICELESS. “She is worth far more than rubies.” Perhaps you recall the television ads for a certain credit card. It would picture a certain product and show the price – say $50.00. Then it would show something else and a higher price, and then something else and a still higher price. Then it would show some lovely scene along with a picture of the credit card and say “Priceless.” In Proverbs 31 the king is showing a picture of a noble wife and saying “Priceless.” She is a cut above the rest. We cannot place a value on such a woman.
But what makes her priceless? What does she do that is so invaluable? Over the years the media has attempted to portray the good wife and mother. We’ve seen the evolution from Donna Reed, to Margaret Anderson of Father Knows Best, to Marion Cunningham of Happy Days, to Caroline Ingalls of “Little House on the Prairie, to June Lockhart of Lassie, to Shirley Partridge of The Partridge Family, to Carol Brady of The Brady Bunch, to Lily Munster, to Claire Huxtable, to Livia of The Sopranos, to The Good Wife, to Desperate Housewives, to Real Housewives. But the king shows a different portrayal as he points to THE CHARACTER OF A GODLY WOMAN. (11-12) “Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.” She is a good HELPMATE. In the creation account in Genesis we learn that God created us male and female, both from his divine breath. That means we are similar, yet different. He put different wiring inside of us; He created us to be complementary. The woman, says Genesis, is therefore to be a helpmate to complete the man, to do what the man cannot do, to be for him what he cannot be for himself. So the king points out that the godly wife’s husband trusts her (11), benefits from her (12), is affirmed by her (12), and reaches his full potential because of her (23). The renowned preacher Harry Emerson Fosdick paid tribute to his wife. He said that he had wondered throughout his life why women – though equal or superior to men in brains – had not achieved the public accomplishments of men. Responding to his own question, he said, “At last I know the answer. No woman ever had a wife!” The godly woman is a good helpmate.
She is also INDUSTRIOUS. Most of the verses in Proverbs 31 portray this characteristic. (13-19, 23-24, 26-27) The precise job details or descriptions are not as important as the overall quality of how she approaches her job as wife and mother. (And by the way, she is a mother who also holds down some jobs! These verses are not chauvinistic or limiting in any way.) She carries out her domestic duties with joy; she cares for the family, not because she has to but because she wants to; she provides for her family out of love, not compulsion. She is willing to go the extra mile for her family, to sacrifice some sleep if necessary; she is not afraid of hard work and long days; she knows how to stretch a dollar; she relishes the challenge of making her house a home. While she may work outside the house her primary, priority job is her home and family. A young woman was visiting a friend who was a mother of two small children. As she saw them running around playing joyfully she said to her friend, “I’d give my life to have two such children.” Her friend replied, “That’s exactly what it costs.” Industrious.
Godly women and mothers are also COMPASSIONATE. Men – let’s face it. When God created woman He gave her the compassionate heart. By and large, women are far more compassionate than men. As one elementary age child explained the difference between Moms and Dads she said, “Moms have magic; they make you feel better without medicine.” I was fortunate that both my father and mother loved me with all their hearts. Both affirmed and encouraged me. But when I needed a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to me, when I needed compassion, it was my mother who shone brightly. Dad cared, mom was compassionate.
And the king says this compassion goes outside the home. (20) “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.” She teaches her family what showing compassion is all about. Here’s the difference between men and women. When we men see young children playing in the street we honk the horn and mutter “Get out of the street. Don’t you know any better? Where are your parents?” When women see the kids at play in the street, they slow down and wait, and wonder “Does anyone care for them? I should get to know these kids and families better.” God even acknowledges mothers’ compassion. In Isaiah 66:13 God said “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” God Himself says “Remember the compassion of your mother? That’s the compassion I have for you.” The godly woman models the compassion of God.
She is also CONFIDENT. (21) “When it snows, she has no fear for her household…” Because she is a helpmate who is industrious and compassionate, she is ready for any emergency. Nothing will cause her to panic. She is, indeed, a cut above the rest – priceless! I know that many of you women feel extremely inadequate and do not have such confidence. The statistics concerning low self-esteem among women confirm it. I pray you can hear these words this morning as a challenge, but even more so as a compliment for being who you are. Chuck Swindoll quoted a wise doctor who said, “If I could write a prescription for the women of the world, I would provide each one of them with a healthy dose of self-esteem and personal worth taken three times a day until her symptoms disappear. I have no doubt that this is their greatest need. If women felt genuinely respected in their roles as wives and mothers they would not feel the need to abandon it for something better. If they felt equal with men in personal worth they would not need to be equivalent to men in responsibility. If they could only bask in the dignity and status granted them by the Creator then their femininity would be valued as their greatest asset rather than scorned as an old garment to be discarded. Without question the future of a nation depends on how it sees its women and I hope we will teach our little girls to be glad they were chosen by God for the special pleasures of womanhood.”
But just how does a woman develop and grow into such a godly person? The king points us to THE CORE OF A GODLY WOMAN in verse 30: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Women – it’s not your looks, your charm, your sex appeal or even your character that matters most; you do not need to be a ’10.’ What matters most is your relationship to the Lord. The BASIS of that relationship IS FEAR of the Lord. Proverbs 9:10 states “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” To fear means to walk in reverence with God, to take God seriously. This holy fear, this reverence opens up the door to a godly way of life. There is no substitute for a life given over to Christ. Get yourself off the throne and let Christ reign. Make time each day to rest in Him. Learn His righteous principles so the Holy Spirit can work them into and through your life. It’s the only way to live up to your God-given potential.
When you do you will become priceless as you discover THE BLESSINGS OF FEAR. Proverbs 8:12-13 lifts up the first blessing – A HATRED FOR EVIL THAT LEADS TO DISCRETION. “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the Lord is to hate evil…” To reverence the Lord is to foster an increased sensitivity to evil, to develop the ability to discern between right and wrong. This means your counsel and teaching will be will be filled with sound judgment.
The second blessing of this holy fear is A CAUTIOUS, CONTROLLED TONGUE. (10:11) “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life…”; (10:31) “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom…” (12:18) “The tongue of the wise brings healing…” (15:28) “The heart of the wise weighs its answers…” (31:26) “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”
Fear of the Lord enables her to think before speaking and then to offer wisdom, healing, and life when speaking.
A third blessing is that of EMOTIONAL STRENGTH AND STABILITY. (14:26-27) “He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.” (31:25) “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” The woman who fears the Lord will have power over even the difficult, unexpected circumstances of life. She will be a strong tower in which her family can take refuge. She will always have something in reserve.
The fourth blessing that flows from fear of the Lord is A HUMBLE SPIRIT. (15:33) “The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” A worthy, noble, priceless woman does not need to seek or speak words of praise on her own behalf; God guarantees the praise will come.
Fear of the Lord, fifthly, leads to THE CROWN OF LIFE. Listen to the reward (31:28-29) “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” President Theodore Roosevelt had it right. He said, “When all is said, it is the mother, and the mother only, who is a better citizen than the soldier who fights for his country. The successful mother, the mother who does her part in rearing and training aright the boys and girls who are to be the men and women of the next generation, is of greater use to the community, and occupies, if she would only realize it, a more honorable as well as a more important position than any man in it. The mother is the one supreme asset of the national life. She is more important, by far, than the successful statesman, or businessman, or artist, or scientist.”
It happens, ultimately, because of her fear of and reverence for her Lord. Henry J. Heinz of Heinz 57 ketchup fame and fortune, stated in his will, “Looking forward to the time when my earthly career will end, I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this will, as the most important item in it, a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I also desire to bear witness to the fact that throughout my life, in which there were unusual joys and sorrows, I have been wonderfully sustained by my faith in God through Jesus Christ. This legacy was left me by my consecrated mother, a woman of strong faith, and to it I attribute any success I have attained.” I’ve seen it in my own boys. I can’t tell you how often one of our sons makes mention of how Barb’s discipline of Bible reading and prayer has been the inspiration for his own discipline.
Every woman can be beautiful in Jesus Christ. If you fear the Lord, if you reverence Him, if you build your life in Him, you will be the woman, the wife, the mother God created and called you to be. A woman sold out to Jesus Christ, committed to her calling, devoted to her family is not only the power that influences present and future generations, but is also one of the truly priceless gift we can receive in life. (31) Husbands, “Give her the reward she has earned.” Sons and daughters, heed what Helen Frazee-Bower expressed poetically in A Mother’s Request.
What do I want for Mother’s Day? You ask, My fair young daughter, and my stalwart son.
Only that you finish up the task that, in life’s evening, seems but just begun –
the task I can never now complete, of setting forth the Way, the Life, the Truth,
Except you lend to me your eager feet, your questioning spirits, and your gallant youth.
What do I want for Mother’s Day? No gift that any purse could buy. But one request
I make of you: That, daily, you might lift the cross of Christ and publish, east and west,
And north and south, the tidings of his grace. These feet grow slow, this fading eyesight dim;
Only in you, my children, is my place of witness found – my going on with Him.
What do I want for mother’s day? Just this: Your hands, your hearts, your voices for my Christ;
This is the ultimate of earthly bliss. There is no comfort I have sacrificed for you that was too much.
So do not bring the casual token. But when ways grow rough,
Then light my twilight with remembering your mother’s God, for you, is still enough.
