Classic KJV - Proverbs 31:12

Remember first of all that the text is a poem, written as a Hebrew acrostic, where each subsequent sentence begins with the following letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Perhaps it also rhymed in Hebrew, but I have not yet been able to determine that. The point is this: It likely does not describe one real woman, but presents the characteristics of a wonderful woman and wife.

A Life Long Blessing

This is her mission statement:

I have been created wonderfully in God's image to be a helper for my man. My first obligation under God is the success of my husband.

She does him good all the days of her life—even before marriage. In other words she prepares to be a professional homemaker by learning valuable home management skills well before she knows her future husband. Furthermore, she keeps herself pure for him. This means avoiding all physical intimacy outside of marriage.¹ Such a strategy takes faith and makes her a desirable prize for any eligible man.

Her extreme loyalty after marriage makes divorce a non-option. Indirectly, the text speaks to the permanence of marriage. It implies that with such a wonderful wife, no husband in his right mind would ever want to divorce her. She would remain with him all the days of her life, as long as they both are living, not just all the days of a comfortable marriage.

Diligent and Entrepreneurial

She is not the type who talks a lot and works little. She keeps her mind and her hands busy, and has no time for idle chit chat and gossip. Even though she has maidens, she herself likely works harder than her servant-girls. As every successful manager knows, effective leadership requires planning and forethought.

Before she considers a field and buys it.  She first determines if she can make a profit. Is the field good for farming or is it a slough? She’s good at business - an entrepreneur. Although she is focused on her family her interests go well beyond her house itself. Note that she plants a vineyard from her earnings rather than using debt and external financing. She is a developer, not content to merely speculate on raw land. She gathers the capiital and then provides the labour. She is looking for annual income as well as a potential gain in the land value since developed land is worth more than raw land. The field may not be agricultural. It could be any business venture. For my wife, it was reselling organic grains and kitchen equipment to other professional homemakers.

Anyone who thinks that a godly woman limits herself to work in the kitchen or the home itself does not have the full picture. She is aggressive and ambitious for the welfare of her entire household. She is not afraid of work. 

A Champion

Olympic athletes usually don’t burn out, but they live very disciplined lives. They start training early, when they are young. To maintain such a rigorous schedule a woman is in top shape. She’s no cream puff! She achieves great feats yet without self-destruction. She trains and works like a champion. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. All muscle building is incremental. It takes time and repetition. But there’s a secret.

The key to self development for ultra-high achievement is not in self but in God. This is counter-intuitive. In other words, the way to incredible success is not to focus on your strengths or on your weaknesses, but on the LORD who supplies both natural and supernatural blessing and deliverance. Being a superwoman is not easy and no one can achieve these lofty goals in their own strength! Nor is superwoman born that way, however, every woman has the potential to become a superwoman. 

The first step is to acknowledge our inadequacies and need for help outside of ourselves. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor (beggars) in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:4). In other words, if you sense that you need help, ASK FOR IT!

Our Maker, Saviour, and Friend

Jesus was fully God but also fully man. 

Except for His brief transfiguration on the mountain top (Matthew 17:2) when His radiance as God shone through, by all external appearances Jesus seemed to be ordinary man. Yet, He was unlike any man who ever lived before or since, because Jesus was flawless (Hebrews 4:15, John 8:46, John 19:6, Mark 7:37).

He alone is the key to becoming a true champion. As long as people seek the LORD, they do well (Isaiah 45:22, 2 Chronicles 26:5).

1. Gender Issues: The School of Issachar- a Division of Compass Call - Alberta Canada  (September 2015), by Christian Klaue