Proverbs 31 Challenge: Prosperity

She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed in scarlet.

Proverbs 31:21

A sudden snowstorm or the beginning of winter may not be a big deal to us now. Most of us have a winter coat to pull out of storage, a home to take refuge in, blankets and heaters to keep us warm.

But what would an unexpected storm mean for a woman in ancient Israel? The verse implies that changes in weather were something to fear. If caught unprepared, a family could suffer the death of several members.

But the woman of Proverbs 31 was confident. She knew her whole family would be safe and survive to see the end of the storm. Why did she have this confidence? Because her family had enough. To be clothed in scarlet was a sign of financial prosperity, which means this family had the resources it needed to survive.

Its important to note that the family’s prosperity wasn’t spoken into existence or made to appear out of nothing. We’ve seen in verses prior to this one that the woman described was hard working, industrious, and creative. She used all that to take care of her family and thereby help her husband be successful in what he did. Their financial security did not come from a secret formula, a mysterious over-night success, a financial peace seminar, or some 10-step plan schemed by a Fortune 500 CEO. It came from the hard work both husband and wife contributed. Hard work pays off.

What the Proverbs 31 woman didn’t do was ignore her household duties in order to provide. Notice that verses 10-20 speak about the work she did directly for her household. Ignoring our responsibilities at home is never acceptable, even if it means an extra paycheck every two weeks. If your job or the amount of hours you put in negatively affect your ability to keep a good home, something has to change.

Our challenge this week, then, is to seriously think about our family’s finances and how we’re affecting them. Are we helping our family be prepared for whatever comes? Are we using our gifts in ways that help bring security? Is there a balance between work and home that allows to fulfill our responsibilities? Make whatever changes you have to make, knowing that God delights in obedience.