Why I’m Memorizing a Passage About an Impossibly Perfect Woman

In a fit of New Year’s resolve, I may have mentioned that I want to develop the spiritual habit of Scripture memorization in 2013. Darn it, I’ve committed myself.

I’ve chosen to memorize the passage about the excellent wife (Proverbs 31:10-31) for the 2013 Siesta Scripture Memory Team, one verse at a time. It plays into my whole Year of Purpose plan because I need some ideas for being more purposeful in my family life. I could continue with my current method of allowing Netflix, Hulu, and our children’s current developmental stage to dictate my days, but somehow I think I can do better.

My plan is to spend two weeks meditating and journaling about each verse, as well as digging in and doing a little studying. I’ll just have to see where the Spirit leads.

When I first thought about using Proverbs 31 to be more purposeful in my family life, I wondered how I would handle specifics like “She looks for wool and flax” and she gives “portions to her maidens.” Even though that last excerpt tempted me to make a case for household help, I suspected that I would instead distill each portion of the passage down to basic principles rather than make myself a slave to the description of a well-to-do woman that lived in a very different time and very different culture.

Right around that time I came across this blog post that clued me in to  the spirit of the passage in general. In it,  Mrs. Evans tells us that Proverbs 31:10-31 resembles a poem describing the feats of a warrior. Consequently, the excellent wife is actually best described and translated as a “woman of valor.”

Mrs. Evans further elaborates that the phrase “woman of valor” describes any woman that blesses her family by using her energy and creativity. In other words, you are a woman of valor if you use the gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given you to bless your family. Consequently, your expression of the woman of valor is unique.

It’s at this point that I part ways with Mrs. Evans on our views of Proverbs 31:10-31. While I am thrilled to understand that the expression of a woman of valor is not limited to the activities listed in this passage, I cannot view the heroic poem of a woman of valor as mere literature. It still serves as a guideline (at the very least) for ways to be valorous as wives.

This is where my plan to meditate on Proverbs 31:10-31 comes in. Since every portion of Scripture is “inspired by God and profitable for teaching”, I’m praying that the Holy Spirit will use this passage to teach me new ways to live purposely, as well as show me what I’m already doing in the spirit of the woman of valor.

Do you think there’s any chance that my expertise with Netflix will play a vital role in my attempts at becoming a woman of valor? Maybe just a little? How about my ability to navigate my Hulu queue? Wait, don’t tell me. Let it be a surprise…