Have you ever wondered what it means to “live for God” or “serve God in daily life?” I’ve heard the phrases most of my life, but never really understood them. How do I dedicate myself to God if I’m not reading the Bible all the time or teaching other people? People usually used similar phrases to explain the concept and my literal mind couldn’t figure it out. I wanted step by step answers or in depth examples, not vague explanations that change with every person. Then I read Proverbs 31-Living In Godly Wisdom by Naomi Schmidt. It’s not exactly a step by step checklist for me, but it definitely explained the concept in a way that I could figure out how to apply it to my life.
How I found the book
My parents gave me this book, then I realized the woman’s Bible study at my church was doing it as well. This book is written as “a personal or group Bible study”. Since I couldn’t meet up with my church’s woman’s group, I read through the book by myself. I recently did an in-depth Bible study and series here about Proverbs 31:10-31 so I was interested in another woman’s opinion on the chapter.
Unattainable Ideal Busy Woman
Proverbs 31 is considered the ideal woman in the Bible. Most women see the ideal as an unattainable perfection. After all, what woman is always good to her husband, eagerly and constantly makes fabric and clothes by hand, even having plenty to sell, only to turn around and easily buy a vineyard and get a harvest from it from her profit? All this she does while getting up early enough to make everyone breakfast, run a household large enough to have servant girls, and work late into the night, as well as giving generously to the needy and being so prepared that she doesn’t worry when the unexpected snow falls. This chapter in the Bible makes it sound like she works from before dawn to well after sunset to ensure her family is well taken care of, with no help from her husband, just praise. Somehow she works long hours in the house and vineyard, yet has great relationships with her husband, kids, and neighbors.
Not A Day Planner
This all seems like a lot to modern women who struggle to keep a career while juggling family, church, and social expectations. Even women who don’t have kids struggle to find a balance without burning out. Somehow, this woman had it figured out in ancient times. Naomi Schmidt says that “this is her scrapbook, not her day planner” (p. 27) She wouldn’t have bought a vineyard and a field every day. She also would only be able to buy her flax at certain periods of the year. Naomi says “As we read about how she helped, we see how God works through us in daily living. As we reflect on her skills and energy, we remember God also gives us abilities and strength. As we linger on this woman’s days of grace, we gain mature insights about ourselves. We meditate on her activity and find godly priorities for our abundant life.” (p. 1)
She added 14 different Bible translations of Proverbs 31:10-31 (including the Common English Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version, New International Version, and New King James Version) to compare the modern way the ancient Bible verses were translated. She used the translations a few times to show that although the words changed, the idea stayed the same. It was really interesting to see that.
Examples And Topics Explain The Concept Comfortably
Instead of going verse by verse to study these verses, she divided them into chapters focusing on image, relationships, tasks, and leadership. She used examples of biblical women, like Eve, Queen Esther, Deborah, Lydia, and others to show personality traits we can apply today. She also applied the verses to how these concepts work in us and how they apply to the Church, Christ’s bride on earth. Each chapter had plenty of discussion questions to get us thinking on how to apply each concept. There were answers at the end of the book if you’re stuck on a question, but those are simply supposed to increase discussion, not be the only answer available.
The book is short and the five chapters are short. The discussion chapters only go to page 43, so the weekly reading is short. This is intended to guide discussion and I think it does a great job of that. The point of this study is to show women that the ideal in Proverbs 31 isn’t unattainable. It’s intended to show that a chapter many women hate is not a mirror showing their imperfection, but a guide to help them prioritize life in a godly way without overwhelm.
There is also a section after the main guide where Naomi Schmidt goes verse by verse to give her thoughts on Proverbs 31 and how it applied in her life at times.
I really liked this book.
It got me thinking about being a godly woman today and how blessed we all are with different abilities and different opportunities to show God’s love to others through our daily actions. I think that the discussions that would’ve happened with women in different seasons than I am, with different experiences, would have helped me even more.
If you’re curious about Proverbs 31- Living In Godly Wisdom by Naomi Schmidt, here is the link to buy it from Amazon.
