Background: God is love. We are made in His image. The P31 woman is love.
Love
Is patient
Now for this woman to do all that she does and remain sane, there has to be a great measure of patience. She has children, a husband, a couple of business ventures, and a ministry of giving to the poor and needy. For them to praise her speaks volumes to the fact that she a measurable portion of patience.
Is kind and not rude
She speaks words of wisdom with kindness. So she’s not running anybody down with her words.
Is not envious, boastful or arrogant
Verse 30 speaks of deceitful charm and fleeting beauty. The P31 takes pride in how she presents herself but is not prideful about her looks or the nice things she has. She even gives things away, which is something boastful people don’t engage in often.
Does not insist its own way
A woman who fears God, shall be praised. Obedience is key to getting the kind of recognition this woman is receiving. She adheres to the word of God and communes with him. He gives her the direction and wisdom, she chooses to do his commands vs her own thing.
Is not irritable or resentful
Proverbs 31:28, 20 and 11 describe the people the P31 has relationships with. If her husband and children are showing her all this love because she is such a great woman, she probably is not being hateful to them or being edgy all the time. If she were that way, they would more than likely respond to her that way rather than singing her praises.
Rejoices with truth, not at wrongdoing
Verse 23 speaks of her husband sitting in the gates and being among the elders. People of influence avoid being involved in scandals. If this woman was involved or supporting anything wrong, her husband would not be found among influential people. They won’t associate themselves with trouble.
Never gives up, never loses faith
The P31’s lamp burns late into the night, she is diligent in everything that she does. When hard times come, she doesn’t discard her faith, she prepares and trusts God.
Is hopeful
The P31 “laughs without fear of the future”. She is confident that the future will be well for her and her family. We must be the same way, always remaining hopeful about the things that concern us and not allowing our circumstances to eat away at us.
Endures every circumstance
Speaking of circumstance, it takes experience and faith in God to endure every circumstance, and the P31 has both.
Never ends
Love is like a cycle. It’s possessed by one person, who gives it to another. This person receives the love and it eventually is given again to the person who originally possessed it. And the cycle is repeated. It doesn’t always come back as quickly as we’d like, or from the same person we give it to, but it does come back. When we sow love, we will reap love. If we keep sowing it, it’ll keep coming, with praise attached.
References: 1 Corinthians13:4-8,13, Proverbs 31:31,23,27,20,28,11,30
