Most husbands desire a wife of virtue like a Proverbs 31 wife. Upon reading Proverbs 31, this wife seems to be a showstopper. She has it all together, taking care of her husband, kids, home, business, and even the poor.
I wondered what gifts she may have possessed in order to accomplish so much and have such a positive influence. Spiritual gifts can vary by God’s grace in terms of what we’ve been given; yet we operate in our gifts in proportion to our faith.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith.
Romans 12:6 (ESV)
So to maximize our gifts, we need to diligently exercise our faith. I think it’s a win-win proposition because without faith, it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Let’s discover your gifts as a Proverbs 31 wife (I Corinthians 12) and maximize them!
The spiritual gift of wisdom shows up often in Proverbs 31. In verse 14, the wife is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. This demonstrates that she plans ahead and is willing to explore beyond where she is to deliver the best. In verse 18, she perceives that her merchandise is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
I love this scripture as it calls out her productivity bringing a positive return on investment, which highlights her gift of wisdom to invest her time, energy and resources accordingly. Working moms are under tremendous pressure whether working inside or outside the home to have it all together. If you operate in faith and your gifts, you will receive a positive return on your efforts!
Furthermore, the Proverbs 31 woman’s light does not go out, she shines! It doesn’t matter if times seem dark, filled with challenges and obstacles, her influence and impact remain even when she is not present or at rest. So it’s important to always let your light shine!
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 (ESV)
In Proverbs 31:21, she is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. In the majority of the world, snow marks a change in season. So when things or people become cold or things get hard, there is no fear for her gift of wisdom prepares her family for such times.
Most importantly, the blood of Jesus covers her family. There are multiple instances of wisdom as a gift of a Proverbs 31 wife showing up to illustrate the impact of gifts. As I reflect on my lovely wife and her abilities, I thought about which of her spiritual gifts has a profound impact on our marriage and kids.
Ayanna’s spiritual gift of exhortation or encouragement has certainly grown in proportion to her faith over the years. Her ability to accurately discern people and situations has been evident since I’ve known her. Yet, her delivery of such information could hurt in some instances. As her gift of exhortation has grown, the delivery of such information is now packaged with encouragement.
The inspiration and encouraging words that come with the delivery of truth often gets me where I need to be as a husband dealing with personal or professional matters. Ayanna’s gift is a catalyst in my life. You have gifts that greatly affect those around us, especially your husbands and kids. So it’s important that you pray, reflect upon, and seek to understand how our gifts impact others.
I certainly see Ayanna’s encouragement frequently with our daughters whether they are praying, doing homework, or an activity. She is there encouraging them along the way! If you follow Ayanna on social media or read her blog posts, you can totally see her gift because you experience her encouraging words and thoughts regularly. She is maximizing this gift in her home, church, community and across multiple platforms.
Have you observed or been informed of how your gifts have changed over time? How do others experience or observe your gifts in action? Our gifts are irrevocable (Romans 11:29), so we might as well maximize them with faith to bless our families and communities!
The most important thing about maximizing your gifts as a Proverbs 31 wife is that it is intended for others, not you. We certainly benefit, but the gifts are not self-serving.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace
1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)
When we maximize our gifts it will show up often and influence multiple things and people for positive outcomes glorifying God. As you reflect upon your gifts, praise God for his grace in allowing you to possess and develop a gift and pray that you can maximize it for His glory!
I’d love to hear about how your gifts have been maximized over the years or
what your husband may think are your Proverbs 31 gifts in the comments!
Refreshing and insightful point of view! Loved this post.
Aw, I love this. I think it’s great when couples can appreciate EACH other and it’s not just one way. Thanks for sharing.
-Lauren
I think the writer of proverbs saw value in his wife and appreciated it. You too seem to appreciate and value your wife. This commendable.
Gift giving is such a special way to show someone you love and appreciate them.
I’m going to forward this onto my husband. He is so spiritual and loves his faith. He would really enjoy this.
This is really inspiring. I feel like I need to focus more on my gifts to others in order to refocus my mood and well-being. Does that make sense? Once I achieve that, I feel like each day has the potential to be way more enjoyable.
this was very inspiring and uplifting! I think everyone can take something positive away with this
I love that you talk about growing your gift! It’s important to savor each gift in marriage
Aww…this is so inspiring! Every woman should read this!
I am not a bible reader much these days. But I will say that I like how you said when you operate in faith and your gifts, you will receive a positive return on your efforts! I truly do believe that wholeheartedly.
Having the ability to encourage other people is a beautiful thing, this was interesting to read
These are beautiful words towards your wife, I’m not married so I can’t express on this subject but it was inspiring to read
I told you this already…you have a really beautiful family. Merry Christmas x
I absolutely LOVE this!! My husband would say that I have come a long way in pretty much EVERY area, but particularly in being patient with him as he navigates learning how to truly be the head and lead our household.
How sweet of your hubby to write on your blog about the Proverbs 31 woman, and what wonderful insights too, I might add! I love the part where Eric mentions that our gifts from God our irrevocable so we might as well maximize them. Yes, what a wonderful piece of encouragement!
I love all your personalized photos too, btw, Ayanna. <3
This is such an encouragement to me. I am caught up in the middle o trying to be a Proverbs 31 woman, but I feel like I struggle so deeply. I am exhausted with a toddler and a crazy hours work from home job, so I feel like I am just in survival mode. I don’t encourage my daughter or my husband in the way that I should. I have been praying lately that God would just give me the grace I need to start growing more in His image.
This is beautiful! One thing in marriage that I’ve learned is exactly what you said: our gifts tend to grow in proportion to our faith. In the same way, the grace we have for each other grows the more we take time to reflect on the grace shown to us. Such an encouraging post that made me stop and think about the areas in my life (and marriage) that might need some more faith-focus 🙂
Thanks Jordan for your kind and encouraging words! I appreciate you highlighting the importance of grace and faith, so true. E