A Mother's letter to her son

I've studied Proverbs 31 many times, but my focus on it over this last weekend has changed my view on this chapter. I was always one who read the wife of noble character and felt overwhelmed. It's about a woman who wakes up before dawn, works with eager hands, makes sure her family is fed well, goes out of her way to help those in need, even has a little side business outside of the home, her husband and children respect her and speak highly of her, her family is clothed well and prepared for a long winter, she does all of this with joy and above all she puts God first in everything she does. Who is this woman? I would like to meet her.

I decided to dig a little deeper and learned that Proverbs 31 is a letter written from a mother to her son. Okay! Now we're getting somewhere. If the Proverbs 31 woman sounds like someone I'd want my sons to marry then it would only make sense for me to do my best to be like that woman as well. I realize now that this portrait the mother is painting to her son is what he should look for when seeking a wife. Proverbs 31 explains not just one day in this woman's life, but what the picture of what her entire life looks like. The letter is written as a list to her son using the Hebrew alphabet. When I read the list there are things I can check off that seem to come easy to me and there are other things on the list that either needs work or I need to consider doing.
I now see Proverbs 31 as an encouragement to become a woman of noble character. I pray that one day my daughter can look at my life and want to imitate these things she saw me doing. I also pray that my sons seek out a woman described in Proverbs 31.

I encourage you to spend some time reading this chapter in Proverbs. Wrestle with the challenges it brings you personally. Is this woman someone you would like to see your son with? Is this a woman you'd like to become yourself? Is this a woman you'd like to see your wife become? Is this a woman you're seeking to marry? You can't change anyone else, but you can modify yourself. Let God be your focus through all changes. Pray about it and spend some time in solitude thinking about it.