Among the top stressors of marriage is the availability and stewardship of a couple’s financial resources
An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. (Proverbs 31:10)
My friend Linda declares that the woman described in Proverbs 31 has to be a military wife! The woman is the definition of resourceful—and she can be intimidating. You have met this military wife, haven’t you? She is in great physical shape and runs in every charity race. She volunteers for countless community activities while operating her own home-based business. She opens her home for gatherings after spending the day taking cookies to troops in military billets. She is at every military function, always dressed in red, white, and blue. Perhaps I exaggerate.
The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom. Put wisdom into practice and Proverbs 31:10–31 will be the result.1 The woman of Proverbs 31 does not describe a particular woman, but an ideal. She is an example to instruct both women and men on the path of wisdom.2 The Hebrew language describes her as a woman of valor. She is not portrayed as passive or self-indulgent, but as wise and conscientious. She is a woman of substance and courage. The term translated as excellent wife is from the Hebrew word hayil. Referring to physical strength and bravery, hayil is commonly associated with those who serve with courage and loyalty—including those serving in the military.3
One message of Proverbs 31:10 is that people are worth more than money or things. We must keep the perspective that the worth of a person and the worth of a relationship are far greater than mere money in the bank. When you read the description of this woman, you see her value lies in her personal qualities of diligence and intelligence, not in the material wealth she gained.
Among the top stressors of marriage is the availability and stewardship of a couple’s financial resources. Stresses related to finances can affect every other area of married life. But you do not have to be financially wealthy to be financially healthy. You only need a united view of the way you will steward your resources.
Respond
On a scale of 1 to 10 with “1” being unhealthy and “10” being very healthy, where would you rate your financial health? What do you and your husband need to do to get closer to 10?
Prayer for the Journey
Lord, thank you for all you have provided my family. Help us to be wise stewards of the provisions with which you have blessed us. Amen.
1 Carol A. Newsom, Sharon H. Ringe, Jacqueline E. Lapsley, editors, Women’s Bible Commentary (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, third edition, 2012), 241.
2 Bob Deffenbaugh, “The Way of the Wise: Studies in the Book of Proverbs: A Model for Marriage,” www.bible.org, https://bible.org/seriespage/13-model-marriage, accessed May 21, 2015.
3 Christine R. Yoder, Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: Proverbs (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2009), 292.
