How to Change Your Attitude Towards Housework

Doing housework can seem unending and mundane, and we may find ourselves complaining about it. Here's how to change your attitude toward housework. #Biblestudy #Proverbs #WomensBibleStudy #GoodMorningGirls

Welcome to Day 1 in Proverbs 31! I’m so delighted you are here.

If you are looking for this week’s Good Morning Girls Resources including the daily Bible Reading Plan, Reflection Questions and Verses of the Day – click here.  I posted them a day early so we could get right into the meat of Proverbs 31 today!

I know that a lot of women have mixed emotions about the Proverbs 31 woman – I mention in the video below how some women are intimidated and even irritated at this passage in the Bible.

I want to challenge women everywhere to read it and accept it as the very words of our mighty God we serve.  If you struggle with this passage – pray and ask God to open your heart and eyes to His will and Word.

Please join me with this opening video as I discuss the history of the Proverbs 31 Woman.  It’s important that we lay the foundation of who this woman really was and why this passage was written. (If you have seen this video before I encourage you to watch it again as a refresher course.)

(Sidenote: the list for noble men I mentioned in the video is found in  I Timothy 3:1-13.)

Now let’s read today’s reading in Proverbs 31:1-14 together:

Proverbs 31 – The Sayings of King Lemuel

The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.

Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!
    Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!
Do not spend your strength on women,
    your vigor on those who ruin kings.

It is not for kings, Lemuel—
    it is not for kings to drink wine,
    not for rulers to crave beer,
lest they drink and forget what has been decreed,
    and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
Let beer be for those who are perishing,
    wine for those who are in anguish!
Let them drink and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
    for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
    defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
(NIV)

We see in this passage above, these are the words of King Lemuel’s mother – she is telling her son, the king, what to look for in a excellent and noble wife.

As I mentioned in the introduction video, the Proverbs 31 woman did not do all that is listed in the entire chapter in one day.  She didn’t plant the field, sew the sashes, make her tapestries and help the needy all in one day!  She did all of this over her lifetime. In the same way, it will take a lifetime for us to become like the Proverbs 31 woman.Verse 11 tells us that a noble wife’s husband has full confidence or trust in her.

Are there any areas where your husband may not fully trust you?

Does your husband trust your spending, your training of the children, your ability to run the home, your words that you speak about him when he is not in the room, your faithfulness to him in regards to flirting with other men, your emotions and temper, and the choices you make?

Next we see in verse 12, the Proverbs 31 woman stays true to her marriage vows.  She is with her husband all the days of her life and what does she do all the days of her life?  

She brings him good not harm.  She does not talk about doing good to her husband – she DOES it!

In verse 13, we see she works with wool and flax. She isn’t above menial work. She is humble and willing to work eagerly with her hands!

And then we see in verse 14, that the very basic necessity of feeding her family is a task that she does with great attention and care.  She is like a merchant ship – who travels off to distant places and brings in unique cargo that you can’t just get at the corner store.

Join me on this second video as I discuss the nobility of laundry, cooking and shopping!

Are you exhausted by your current workload?  You are not alone.

The work of a woman is never ending.  There is always another load of laundry to run, another meal to cook or someone that needs tending to inside or outside the home. It’s hard to remain selfless and joyful when we are stressed out and discontent.

My prayer is that this Proverbs 31 Passage of scripture soaks deep into our souls and revives our spirit. I pray that you will come to your daily work with a fresh eagerness as a result of this study this week!

Here’s Today’s Proverbs 31 Challenge:

Consider the menial tasks of doing laundry, grocery shopping and cooking as noble!  As you walk through your home, say a prayer of thanksgiving for the things you have that cause you to have to do housework.

~Thank you Lord for the abundance of laundry which means we have an abundance of clothes.

~Thank you Lord for dirty dishes that say our tummies are full today.

~Thank you Lord for crumbs on the floor that say God has given us our daily bread.

~Thank you Lord for beds to make that say we have a warm cozy home.

~Thank you Lord for wet towels on the floor that say we have running water for washing.

~Thank you Lord for the bills today that say we have electricity, phone service and more.

~Thank you Lord for all those grocery bags in the back of my car I have to haul in and put away, it means you Lord, have provided food yet again for my family.

Give thanks and teach your children to give thanks and watch how your attitude towards your housework shifts from dread to joy this week!

Will you take the challenge with me? Oh I hope you will!

**Chime In**

Does the Proverbs 31 Woman overwhelm you? Do you have some negative feelings towards this passage of scripture?  Why or why not?

How does it encourage you to realize the Proverbs 31 Woman probably didn’t do all of the activities listed in Proverbs 31, in one day?

Proverbs 31 (1-14) a

Walk with the King,

**For a more in-depth look at today’s passage I encourage you to read pages 1-11 in my {free} Proverbs 31 eBook.  Tomorrow I’ll be back here on the blog and we will be looking at verses 15-18 together and some of the woman’s work she does outside of the home.

82 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for this. It is what I needed. I have been in a very difficult marriage. My husband used to call me eeyore because I was pretty mopey around him (just around him because he was pretty mean to me) until I heard a sermon where the pastor talked about thankfulness. I started thanking the Lord for all kinds of things. Helped dramatically! The Lord has been working in my husbands life and things are much better, but I still get quite overwhelmed at all I have to do. I do all the paperwork for my husbands trucking. (He is a long haul trucker with his own truck and trailer.) We have an adult handicapped son that I care for. (He has a special diet which takes extra time also.) I have grandkids that I help with occasionally. And of course the home to take care of. I can get quite tired of doing the same things day in and day out. Thanking the Lord in the way you have stated is another light bulb moment for me. I thank the Lord for teaching me once again. Thanks!

  2. Dear courtney,
    That very powerful. Am really encouraged by that and from today i will never complain of anything instead i ll always give thanks to God.

    Susan

    1. Dear Courtney
      I like reading your blog and believe things you write but my question, is_how do you implement these beliefs if you husband has no job and could careless if he does I have asked him to leave but he is not talk,g me serious help

  3. Thank you Courtney! I needed to hear this. I was just complaining last night about those dirty dishes! I am looking forward to this week’s study. God Bless!

  4. This is so awesome Courtney! I literally just joined up and I’m starting with Proverbs 31. During my study time this morning, Prov 31:11 was where God really drew my attention to and I’m spending my day pondering on things that I do that can shake my husband’s trust in me.

    I’m really encouraged by being able to see beyond ALL the chores and things I have to do at home and just thank God for the provision and the ability to do those things!

  5. Thank you Courtney! This morning I am staring down a sink full of dishes and a house that is filled with disorder from a full weekend. Thank you Lord that my life is so full, right? I will be thinking about these verses and your words as I work with my “eager hands” today. 🙂

  6. Thank you so much for posting this, Courtney. What an inspiring way to begin a new week! At times, reading Proverbs 31 leaves me feeling overwhelmed and inadequate. But I like the emphasis you put on keeping in perspective that the Proverbs 31 woman didn’t do all of these tasks in one day. By caring for my family day after day in God’s Word, I know I will receive strength and encouragement from Him to put my focus on these noble tasks.

  7. At times, things do get overwhelming. My I need to says prayers of thanksgiving for having a family to love and take care of! My family is one of my most priceless treasures.

  8. I recently found you thanks to my cousin. And can I say what a blessing it has been to me. I want to thank you so much!
    I defiantly needed to be here for this because God knows that I needed help in this area. I want to be like the Proverbs 31 woman.

  9. And as you pointed out, this was a wish list given to King Lemuel by his mother. I do wonder why people think the Proverbs 31 woman was real. She’s a wish list woman. I wouldn’t want a woman like this for my sons. She would be exhausted. I used to beat myself up for not being like her until I realized she wasn’t a person, she was a wish for a king by his mother.

    1. Exactly. Not sure why so many Christian woman are so obsessed with this fictitious woman when they should be focused on becoming more like JESUS CHRIST. That’s what being a Christian is all about.

      1. Serving one’s husband/family IS a way of focusing on and serving the Lord and others as He did and commanded us to do.

        1. Right. You can serve others without striving to be like this fictional woman. This is borderline false idolatry.

          1. Dear Julie and Katie,

            Proverbs 31 is a description of a noble and godly woman. She has a beautiful relationship with her husband, children and the Lord.

            The Proverbs 31 Woman fears the Lord – this means that she listens to God’s Word and lets it shape her life. I hope that studying this passage of scripture will be a blessing and encouragement to you.

            Much Love,
            Courtney

          2. LUKE 10:38-42

            38Now as they went on their way, Jesus4 entered a village. And a woman named bMartha cwelcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called bMary, who dsat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are eanxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen fthe good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

      2. Yeah- and to be more like Jesus is to OBEY the Father. Jesus obeyed the Father, that was one of His biggest attribute while here on earth…His obedience. Is every Word in the the Bible not breathed from God..?? So that means as Christian women, in order to be more like Jesus, we are to obey our Father. God has written what is desired from every man and woman. We need to read it, meditate on it and learn to apply it. I don’t know about you, but ever since I got saved and started obeying the Word of God…things work out in my life, things makes sense and everything comes in order. Even hard things like the Proverbs woman. It’s NOT EASY, any woman that says it is is lying..! But striving to be more obedient to it every day changes us spiritually and mentally as women of God.

        1. if we can’t summit to our husband which is the head of the household and like Christ and we are like the church. If we cannot summit to our husband we cannot summit to Christ. The word of God is hard. Many claim to be christian but don’t live the life.

  10. Thank you so much for this Courtney, this is really helping me address areas in my life that I haven’t been faithful about. I am a career woman and I have tended to put more of my energy in my career than taking care of my household. I find myself resenting all I have to do at home as well as at work. I now see I can be just as fulfilled in caring for my home and husband as I am with my work. I need to do ALL things as if I’m working for the Lord, not just the things I like! My husband says he is happy with all I do, but I know I can do a better job with the housework and cooking. I enjoy the cooking, just not the cleaning up afterwards. So from now on I’ll face my chores with more joy and thanks to God for all my blessings. I’m thankful to understand that the Proverbs 31 woman doesn’t do all these things in one day because that would be overwhelming! But she does care for them one day at a time, and that’s a wonderful way to approach each day.

  11. I feel so blessed to have found this study! Monday is my “laundry day” and I still have to fold from last week’s laundry day! I’ve never read Proverbs before and this gives me a new motivation and desire to tackle household chores. I find that I spend too much time mindlessly browsing the Internet instead of serving God and my beautiful family. It ends today! My husband works so hard to provide for me and the kids so I can stay home. I need to be doing the same in return. I will pray on this so I can be the Proverbs 31 woman that I’m sure my late mother in law desperately wanted for her son and grandchildren!

  12. Proverbs 31 has always been my favorite chapter. I was recently blessed to have spent a week of hard study in the chapter and realized some of the tasks mentioned such as collecting wool and flax, and making crimson garments for her family and sashes for the workers in the market were tasks that would have taken an entire year or more to do. The process of collecting wool and flax is extensive and very hard work. Flax is a plant that can be turned into the finest linen on the planet and is still mostly processed in the same way this woman would have done it, and just to turn the plant into fibers to weave into material took 3 or more months, then as I mentioned it had to be woven to make it into material, I can’t even imagine how long that took. After it is woven it has to be died. Crimson is a color that comes from bugs… how many bugs must have been collected and crushed to make that much dye? She may not have crushed or collected them herself since the bible doesn’t mention it but it does say she gave tasks to her servants and provided them food to eat in the morning, and that her clothes were crimson so we can imagine at least the time it took to dye the material if not the time to make the dye. Then she sewed her clothes and the clothes for her family. She was one busy and happy lady! And the process really was years not days… I am blessed to know that the work I am doing today is leading to the work of tomorrow and the product of all my hard work is children and a husband who will bless me, even if that work takes years to see the fruit of my labor. I am eager to hold onto my children while they are young and to make lasting memories for them when they are old, memories of how I worked hard to provide and protect but also to teach them how to do this work themselves to be the men and women God has created them to be.

  13. This is perfect timing for me as my husband heads back tonight shift for the next four weeks. Everything goes out the window schedule-wise and I get pretty stressed. By the time I get into the rhythm he’s back on days. So yes, this perfect timing. God is always on time and meets us right where we are. Praise God!

  14. Before I was the Christian I am today, I honestly despised the Proverbs woman. I have not read the bible cover to cover but I have noticed that there are more rules and instructions for women and how we have to be and what we are not supposed to do and the things that we are supposed to do. I honestly felt that God “favored” men over women, maybe we are “inferior” in God’s and Men’s eyes. But I have come to realize that, that is not true and nothing but the evil one . I did not have a good Christian mother to show me how to clean, cook and be a smart business woman. So, at 28 I still struggle with trying to be this proverb’s woman and I don’t want to be like my mom. But I have learned and felt better and at peace that God’s word is truth. Not a burden, not how the 1950’s really were for women. And because of that era, is how I came to dislike this woman. God’s word does not say that we as women “cannot speak until the man addresses us”. He says to be wise with our words. God’s word does not say that we cannot have feelings or we Have to greet our husbands at the door with a beautiful dress and always look extra clean and extra beautiful. While I do not find anything wrong with this, God’s word says that our inner beauty is more important to him that our outer beauty. I have come to like this proverb 31 woman, it is just very hard to be like her.

  15. Thank you so much for this message today! I needed to hear these words, as I have been feeling stressed about housework and meal planning/prep these past few weeks. The meal prep has started to fall more on my husband, and I feel like our weekends are spent more so doing chores and cooking than it is enjoying our time together.

    It is my goal this week to get into a cleaning routine (a couple chores each day) that will eliminate the need to clean on the weekends. In addition, I will try to get the shopping and meal prep done on Friday for the following week. ((fingers crossed))

    This Proverbs study has been such a blessing in my life. I’ll definitely continue following your journey through the rest of the Bible. Thank you for your encouragement!!

  16. Well, I’m alone in my home now as my daughter is grown and married and has a child of her own now and living in another state. She is doing this study also. My husband left me five years ago. I know I was so busy when I had my family for 25 years with working outside the home and trying to be the perfect mom and be on the pta and coach cheerleading and teach kids club at church and be a girl scout.leader and summer camp counselor and always have nightly Devotions with my daughter and not to mention the housework I got no help with most of the time. I did what i thought then was a pretty good job of keeping it all together and had the attitude the house chores could wait as long as I am involved in my childs life. But I somewhere lost connection with my husband along the way without even realizing it. Although his cheating and midlife crisis had alot to do with his leaving, I cant help but think my busyness and idea of being a perfect mom instead of communicating with my husband and expecting his help with chores so we could spend more time with each other contributed to the failed marriage. So please take time to realize you dont have to do it all and be all things wonderful but everyday one day at a time work together as a family and delegate as a leader to get chores done and be full of praise for the help of your family and someone they can be proud of and look up to because you are there for them physically and not mentally and not running around like crazy unorganized person. Dont freak out if the laundry is not done on Monday or the floors aren’t mopped on Tuesday. Someday you may be alone and they never get dirty. Take it one day at a time and be organized and set priorities but most of all take time out to realize the proverbs 31 woman is someone her family is her priority and who respects her more than anyone on the outside looking in. If you care for them and worry less about being the perfect woman they might just be there for you in your old age and you wont be alone.

    1. Great study! And Vicki… that is very wise advice! I’m sorry for the loss in your life. But your hardship is not for nothing. God uses all things to his glory, even if we can’t see the reason. I hope you find joy and fulfillment in the Lord and he uses your story to help others facing the same situation.

    2. Thank you for this Vicki. I think you comments just emphasize the fact that the Proverbs 31 woman did not achieve all she did in one day. It took years of doing it bit by bit, prioritizing and eventually becoming the woman blessed by both her children and her husband.

      I am sorry about your loss, and pray that God will help you find comfort even in this time of your life.

  17. I appreciate being challenged to go further with God. Your question about whether my husband can trust me, went straight to me heart. Overall, he can trust me. He would say he trusts me. Yet, I know, that if I say I’m going shopping, he gets a little concerned, wondering if I will stick to our budget, or if I’ll get sucked into a sale. When it comes down to it- the budget is the critical element. Am I being honoring to our financial needs? This is challenging for me, because I want him to be able to completely trust me with our finances. Gulp.

  18. Going to be a wonderful week! Thank U all! What a joy ,to refresh, restore our thoughts and actions with the Word of God and friends, Sisters in Christ. t.

  19. I loved the proverbs challenge. I love that idea of remember to be grateful for all that we have. It is so easy to focus on the things we don’t have and the things we still want. But, yes, we need to remember to be grateful for the things God has blesses us with. So encouraging.

    And loved the reading in the ebook really challenging us to identify areas where we need to grow so that our husbands can have full confidence in us.

  20. I am so excited to dig into this teaching with you. I recently left the corporate world to be a stay at home wife. God put the desire to leave my job and stay home so strongly on my heart about 2 years ago. Through much prayer and faith my husband and I made changes in our life and here I am, living out my hearts desire to be a Proverbs 31 woman to him, my adult children and my grandchildren.

    I am enjoying the whole picture-planning healthy meals, grocery shopping, gardening, laundry, sewing, crafting, making my bed everyday and most of all making my house a home!

    This is what and who God designed me to be. I am excited to do this study with you and continue to grow in this new season of life.

  21. I think Vickie summed it up rather well. I am retired and living alone now. Children grown, married and I have grandchildren. Thankfully they all live close. My husband also left after 26 years. He was the one who was so busy-he worked 2-3 jobs, plus we lived on a farm. So there was always plenty to do. We were both teachers. Yes, the days were sometimes too short to get everything done. Always busy with the house, yard, children, pets, farm animals, garden.. But now I realize how precious it all was. I am home alone. The days pass so very fast and I would tell these young mothers, appreciate it while it lasts. Better to have your family and be busy than being alone and no one ever comes home at the end of the day. At least I have good memories, yes, I could have been a better mother and wife, but I was too busy to worry about it. So enjoy this season in your life. Be thankful for this precious time with your family.

  22. Thank youCourtney, this was very encouraging today as its cleaning day for me. I can look at cleaning in a whole new way, it’s noble. A great reminder that I’m doing it unto the Lord and not just my family.
    Blessings,
    Adrienne R

  23. Thank you so much! I believe God put Women Living Well in my life! I have been in a place where I was stagnate and not finding joy in my daily task. The Proverbs women has inspired me to be thankful for the little things and daily tasks and to find joy in seeking Jesus in all that I do! I look forward to the rest of this study and following women living well! Thank you and God bless you! ❤️

  24. Thank you for this! I have always read this and stived to be a Proverbs 31 Woman but always felt defeat. I felt like I could never attain to all that is “required”. Now I see that it isn’t done in a day. That I can still be this woman! 🙂

  25. Thank you for this post. It is noble and it is loving. It has helped me to think of how doing the laundry, washing dishes, making meals etc is a blessing to someone in my family. I feel blessed and loved when someone mops my floor or folds my clothes or makes me a meal so I know that just having these basic needs met is a blessing and get to do that for those I love the most ….my husband and my children. I haven’t always felt this way but it has helped me to find joy in it when I see it as an opportunity to truly love …not just in word but in deed. Thanks for your encouragement along the way!

  26. What an encouragement this study is! As a momma of four children (10, 5, 2, and 5 weeks) I sometimes get discouraged with trying to keep the house clean and laundry done and bills paid, but now I can do these things with joy in my heart because I am reminded that I am doing them for God’s glory!! Thank you so much for sharing!

    1. So the question was does this mythical woman overwhelm me? Well no, not really. She is the woman I strive to be. She is capable but still knows her place in her family. She is smart, respected, admired, beloved. She knows what she wants for her family and knows how to get it. She takes the time to go the extra mile to get her family the best she can provide for them. Day after day she chooses to speak well of her husband, not to share his faults but to raise him in praise. This is a choice we all make every day, praise the good or flaunt the bad…you choose.

      I like also Proverbs 31:1-10. Though not spoken about much, this tells briefly how the “king” should behave, and don’t most men believe they are the king of their castle. 🙂 He is not to give in to drunkenness, he is to stand up for the weak, and if he must judge do so righteously. He is not above the law of God, no matter his position on this earth. More can be found in, I believe, Timothy for him.

      And encouraged she doesn’t do this all in one day? Yes! Although she cannot buy, sow and reap on the same day anyway. There is a time and a season for all things and this virtuous woman knows when that is. Do we make mistakes? You’re darn right we do! But we learn from them trying not to make them again.

    2. I wanted to send blessings your way, Rachel, from a mom of six. Then my own post.
      Anyway, blessing to you and your family, and all the moms out there feeling overwhelmed.

  27. This is just what I needed this week! With life picking back up (sports, school starting back, etc) on top of working full time, I was really dreading the weeks to come. I tend to get overwhelmed and I am really hard on myself. This message is just what I needed to change my perspective on things!! Instead of dreading the upcoming weeks, I am looking forward to it! I can’t wait to see how the change in heart and mindset will affect myself and my family! Thank you SO much!!

  28. LOVE this Courtney! It is a awesome reminder for us all. Love the idea of sharing with sons 😀

  29. Today’s study was so encouraging to me! Over the past few months I’ve found myself getting more and more burnt out on the “mundane” tasks of life. I’ve lost my willingness to do these things with a happy heart. Today made me see that they do have a value, I’m vital to my family, and to have strength for these tasks I must constantly look to the Lord for my source of strength. I knew these truths before but my overwhelmed mind needed a reminder.

  30. Thank you Cortney for your efforts and these wonderful and practical ways to be thankful while doing the many household jobs we do. I think you are an amazing woman and I thank you for your faithfulness in all of this ministry.

  31. Thank you Courtney, you encouraged me this day. I’ve seen this before, your videos: but today, it spoke to me in a deeper way. Thank you for your heart.

  32. Good evening Courtney! The Proverbs 31 women used to intimidate me, even terrify me. But over the past few years I’ve come to embrace and love her. If she were unobtainable, God would not have put her in the Bible. So I find encouragement from her. Thank you for this series!

    Jenifer <3

  33. I always wanted to study and learn about the Provebs 31 woman. Now that I am I dont think it’s that unattainable. If you keep your eyes on Jesus and the glory of God its possible. I always struggle with bringing in the grocery bags the most. I really hate that part. But your insight has made me view it in another way. Thank you Courtney for this study. I think I’ll be learning alot about me and the Proverbs 31 woman.

  34. Hi Courtney,
    I’m loving this study already! I’ve meditated on this chapter for years even before I was married asking God to mold me into a woman who depicts the attributes shown in this chapter. Boy did I realize how hard this was when I got married; and then I would remember . . . In my own strength this would certainly be unattainable but thank you Jesus that nothing is impossible with God! In him we can do all things! I love the truth you’ve shared in that this is not something the Proverbs 31 woman would achieve in one day but over the course of her life. This definitely helps me to keep everything in perspective!
    God Bless You,
    Leah

  35. I love verse 14 where I bring me food from afar. I am a missionary in Germany and I bring food from America that I can’t get there. So I feel like I have this one covered!

  36. Hi Courtney,

    Thank you for posting the videos today. I appreciate it.

    This verse stood out to me today 9. “Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy” ESV.

    I am trying to understand how I can apply the Proverbs 31 Women in my life today. I am single and I am in college I think this is why verse 9 stood out to me today instead of the others.

    How do you think I can apply the Proverbs 31 Women in my life today? Do you have any suggestions for me?

    God bless you and your family.

    Sincerely,

    Jessica Medina

    1. One suggestion, being faithful to your future husband, pray for your future husband. At 15, I started praying for this young man I was infatuated with and for my future husband also, turns out it was the same man! I married him at 19 and 8 children, 15 years later God has blessed our marriage all along( a constant reliance on the Lord for guidance, we have been thru painful loss, hardship and tragedy together). We thank Him often for being the center and for the blessing of each other, and express appreciation of each other often. God bless your single life and future!

  37. Can’t wait to dive deeper into Proverbs 31. This week is a perfect spring board for a 5 week summer study of Proverbs 31 I’m beginning on Thurday with some mom friends. I’m stuck in a lazy house keeping rut and I can already sense the Lord working on my attitude and work ethic. Thank you for all you do to encourage us to be the women God created us to be.

  38. Before I married my 1st husband many years ago, I read Total Woman by Marabel Morgan. It helped with my marriage, but pornography tore this marriage and my 2nd marriage apart. God has freed me from this addiction and now I am happily married to my 3rd husband. He is disabled so he does not work, while I work nights at a motel – 6 nights a week. Sometimes it is hard to come home after work and doing the chores around the house. And he wants me close by him, so if I am in another part of the house for too long, he gets upset. He does tell me I know how to shop and find bargains.

    1. Teresa – I, too, am on my 3rd marriage. I’m so happy for you to have found happiness! While my husband is more critical than complimentary of me & my housekeeping/mothering/wifely duties, he is an excellent man. However, I know I had room for growth/improvement in all of those areas & I’m so thankful for Courtney & her daily posts that I receive via email & on instagram as they are so encouraging for me & my continued walk with Our Father to be more of a P31 woman.
      I’ll be praying for you & your husband!

  39. I’m so excited to participate in this! We have faced some incredible struggles this last year in our marriage that has affected our family as a whole, and I have needed something like this to help me jump back into who I know God has called me to be!!! We have 5 littles and my husband works a lot, so I will be stretching this out a bit, taking 2 days for each day of the study, so I can really soak it in!!!

    As for the questone you asked at the end, the Proverbs 31 woman does at times overwhelm me, but that is because I put too much on myself and compare, I love how you remind us to focus on Jesus, HE is who we are to honor first! Steven Curtis Chapman song “Do Everything” reminds me also of this, that in every little thing I do I do it to honor Him!
    I have never saw this scripture in a negative way, but as a standard to reach for, and I’ve never thought of how she didn’t do all these things in a day, but in a lifetime, that was so encouraging!!! Brings a whole new light to the Proverbs 31 woman!!!
    Blessing and thank you!!

  40. Thank you for giving me the verse in Hebrews. That is going to be a big help to me, I think. I struggle with this just like the other woman that you mentioned. I try so hard to live for God in my family but I am only met with criticism and feelings of exclusion. God was so good to me this morning and brought that verse to mind as I woke up. I need to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, not everything else that Satan is trying to distract and discourage me with.

  41. Courtney, if there is ever a time you get bogged down by life, just look at all these people who you inspire, give hope to and teach to lead a Godly life x

  42. Thank you so much Courtney. I believe God lead me to this page because I have just been feeling so overwhelmed and useless. I am a SAHM with 3 children and lately since we moved into our new house that we just bought I have definitely not been a Proverbs 31 wife and mother and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I no longer enjoyed all the things I once loved, cooking for my family especially. This definitely gives me a new lease on our wonderful life and helps me to keep my eyes on Jesus and know that I can do everything to the Glory of my Heavenly Father.

  43. This is awesome. I get all fired up when aspiring to be like the Proverbs 31 woman. So excited to join this study {That I happened to stumble upon this morning}.

    Thank you for your willing hearts to teach us the scripture.

  44. A long time ago I did a study “A Woman after Gods Own Heart” and Mrs. George explained do it all as if working for the Lord. She also suggested doing the worst, first. These two things and of course this reading and study today make it so much more a joy to do whatever work I have in my home each day! I sing sometimes as I go about my housework…”I have joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”…I often add “deep deep deep down in my heart” …makes me laugh, which makes it fun.

  45. I am very new to Christianity and therefore Proverbs 31 but I like the idea of a guideline. I really loved your prayer as I never thought of those tasks that way. I will try to be more thankful of laundry, dishes and bills because it means I have what our family needs.

    Thank you for this study.

  46. Thank you Courtney for sharing! I am actually a single woman, but I have enjoyed the bible studies. You gave me a different perspective on the Proverbs 31 woman. I am excited to continue the study!

  47. Courtney – THANK YOU!!! I so often can begrudge the never ending housework. Albeit a day late (such is my life sometimes! hoping I’m not alone in that) I am so grateful for the reminders of how to be grateful for the little but impactful tasks of home. The first one that hit me when I read your challenge – I am thankful that we have a home in which to live. I love the ones about laundry – we have clothing, dirty dishes – our tummies are full and plastic bags – we have more than enough food & possessions!
    I almost passed on this study as I’m doing a few others with friends/co-workers not from here, but I’m SO GLAD I decided to take this one on. It is just a week but I can already tell it will be a lifetime of goodness for myself & my family!

  48. We all need these reminders. Especially after working outside the home all day and then coming home to a house that needs much attention. Does God complain about having to take care of us time and time again? NO! We all complain and we need to learn to be more thankful or to ask for help when help is needed. To create a positive home and set an encouraging example for our family and for others. Thank you for this lesson as a reminder. WE should do this a few times a year or post these versus around our house as we do these things around the house.

  49. Thank you for the inspiration and encouragement. This is the first time I’ve taken part in a bible study and being a wife, mother, and christian I thought this would be the perfect one. I look forward to the rest of the week.

  50. I absolutely love the Proverbs 31 study. It helps me navigate through my daily tasks of caring for my husband, new son and homemaking. Everyday I am thankful for the blessings in my life. With that being said I still get overwhelmed and stressed in certain situations, but Proverbs 31 helps me stop and breath, and put the important tasks in front of me into perspective. Thank you Courtney for your devotion and for the wisdom you pour into these studies. You have strengthened my Christian walk more than you could ever know. For that I am so thankful!

  51. I have just been able to join in but what a joyful Delight it is to be refreshed for the week as wife and mother. I really thank God for Courtney especially with the prayer on thankfulness, it does share new light in my perspective on the daily things that we so easily take for granted. My prayer is that I hold on to this and that my eyes, also especially my heart will remain adjusted to hearing and understanding God’s words of wisdom through others like Courtney. I’m all in to Women Living Well from now on…. this is from God’s heart to mine, I just know it is.

  52. I just typed my comment and it said “page can’t be displayed” so will let it pass and comment again later.

  53. Thank you for the video. I am enjoying them so much. I am glad to know that the Proverbs 31 woman did not do all this in one day. I need to change my attitude towards a few things. I get so frustrated when it seems like a revolving door around here (all my children are in their 20’s). It seems like I no more than get a meal cleaned up and someone decides to come over and fix something and the dishes pile up. I need to be happy they still want to come home and eat and be at home instead of looking at the pile left. I love doing their laundry when they bring it over. I feel like the lady you mentioned in the first video as so many times I feel like I am doing my best and it isn’t good enough. Again, thank you for the videos and am loving the study especially going in depth of Proverbs 31 woman.

  54. Thank you for this! I’m a few days behind but excited for this challenge! I work full time and am a new mom and feel like I never get anything done… Between work, the baby, my husband and my church callings my home has been very neglected… Currently I have 9 loads of laundry that needs doing… It’s not that I begrudge it, I just put it off until I’m too tired to do it… This was so encouraging and almost motivating! (Let’s go do laundry! Woo!!)

  55. Good morning! I just wanted to thank you for your “Thank you list”. I copy and pasted the list, and then cut it into strips and taped it around the house. For example, the laundry, taped it to the washer, the groceries, taped it to our grocery budget envelope, the floors – to the vacuum….you get the idea. That way I am saying thank you each and every time I do a task! 😉

  56. Getting caught up on this weeks study. I so how God speaks to me during my daily tasks and comes back with confirmation. Yesterday I was out in the garden pulling weeds. During the entire time I was giving God thanks and asking Him to help ma br grateful and diligent with my home. He has blessed us with it and then resources to feed our family. Thanks for this study.

  57. I am late to the game and catching up. I know I need this. I am learning to be more noble. It is difficult. It is encouraging that the Proverbs 31 woman has a whole lifetime to become this iconic super-awesome example.

    I work full-time outside the home. That is what is needed for our family, and, honestly, I don’t mind. The work I do as a sign language interpreter provides access, independence and dignity to people who might not have these things. The money I earn keeps my family in a home, fed, clothed and educated in Christian school. My son can be involved in activities like hockey and theatre. I arrive at work early, and work (most of the time) like it is for the Lord.

    I can cook for my family–I actually like to feed them. I shop for bargains and make a point to buy varied and generally healthy food. I spend very little on myself. I pay some of our bills–thankfully, we can pay (for the most part). We are even paying down our debt. We get my son to and from his six-year-old activities.

    My big issue is housework. I. HATE. IT. I will cook all day long–but I despise the dishes. We have way too much stuff, because I don’t want to deal with sorting it all out. We are too cluttered to clean. I have a mountain range of dirty laundry, and too much clean laundry to properly put away.

    I need help, and I am too embarrassed to even have someone come in to help me get started. I have found NOTHING that makes this change. I just feel stuck. I would much rather use my non-working time to do fun things with my son, or to just chill out. I don’t know how to change.

    HELP!! I feel terrible about this!

    Carissa in eastern Iowa

  58. I thank you for this review of Proverbs 31. I can say just in this day 1 post I can see the areas I need to work on for my marriage. We are now empty nesters and both work a lot so coming home to a lot of housework puts me in bad spirits.

    After listening to the video and following through the e-book I realize that I need to get over myself and take care of my husband and my home more so since all three of our children live on their own. I not only have to work at becoming a Proverbs 31 woman but also an example for my sons so that they find their Proverbs 31 woman.

  59. I just wanted to share that when I got saved, I am sure you gals can relate. When you first get saved, most fervent prayer is “Lord, teach me to be more like Christ. Show me how to make you proud. I want to be a blessing to you and not a curse.” So God slowly led me to these certain passages after reading the whole Bible front to back. I started feeling a lot of direction from the Holy Spirit that I needed to start applying these truths in my life as a young mother of 2 and wife of only 7 years. In my generation, we are used to the electronics, the easy way out, the sleep in all day and stay up all night watching tv, internet etc etc. So for me to have to reprogram my way of living to align myself with God’s Truth was VERY HARD. But as I sat and meditated on this passage, God started putting things in my thoughts: Like for example, the times I spend watching TV. I spend hours watching stupid mindless tv shows when I could make fresh food for my kids and wash their clothes and bed sheets. Countless hours on internet and on my cell phone texting etc etc when I could have vacuum all the dust so they don’t have allergies. And I have a hard time waking up EARLY. I’m like the Proverbs woman wakes up early before the sun even comes up..??? Just simple things like that but makes a huge impact on who I am as a mother/wife/woman of God. I realized I am so burnt from the day of working full time that when I get home I slump on the sofa and watch TV (in my head i tell myself I deserve to relax) and end up staying up till midnight. Then the next morning I can’t wake up. So I’ve been reading on ways to improve my sleep and teach myself to wake up early and refreshed. I am soo ready to apply it and be a mom that my kids will be proud of. I already cancelled cable and planning to sleep at 10pm and wake up at 6 am everyday so that my body gets used to it. It’s not that the Proverbs woman is hard, it’s the fact that we live in the 21st Century and we have used up so much of our time with electronics that we neglect the important things around us. We can’t blame God for making it hard…we can only blame ourselves as we have become lazy robots. I know God is ALWAYS right, and I never argue with Him. I just pray that He gives me strength to obey Him daily. I mean the one hour I spend watching a tv show I could have washed the dishes and clothes.!! My kids and husband should be my priority after God which is my number one. I don’t care what my inlaws say about me or anyone else says..I just care what God says and I know He has written in black and white what is expected of a godly woman and I want to make my Father proud. I also want to learn to apply the message about a woman of God being humbled, with a quit spirit. I want to learn to speak when needed and keep my mouth shut when needed. Sometimes, as women of this time..we speak way too much which later leads to gossiping and then idleness and then drama. Speaking too much can lead to saying the wrong things and creating all sorts of issues. Being a quite spirit keeps us out of unnecessary drama and holds our tongue from gossip. Since I’ve learned to apply this- I noticed my life is sooooo much more peaceful, and drama free. Everyone else around me is going through this and that and crying about this and arguing about that and I just sit there full of peace. Because I have learned to be a quit spirit that does not involve herself in idleness. My husband is not perfect by all means, but I have come to realize that I can not change his ways but I can allow God to change mine. At the end, we are all held accountable to God for our own actions and choices in life. I can not answer for my husband and he can not answer for me. Just like we can not forgive for others, we must each forgive for ourselves only because we are held accountable for our own unforgiveness only. Forgiveness was one of my BIGGEST problem when I first came to the Lord. It was what He had to fix in me first. Took a long time for me to finally learned what forgiving those in my past and being forgiven by God meant. After I was freed from that, God started working on my character and aligning me with a biblical woman. Proverbs is not imaginary, it’s God’s direction for ALL OF US WOMEN. I can sit here and make excuses all day, blaming my husband, kids, work, money issues but at the end of the day…I really have no valid excuse.!! I think about what’s going on in Isreal and the middle east right now…young women getting raped by multiple men, families taking what they have left on their backs and fleeing to refugee camps with their young ones. No house, no food, no bed to lay in at night. And I cry and repent to God for even complaining ONE BIT..! Ladies, look what is going on over there right now as we speak. The pictures of the children and the horrific events over there right now. They are hungry, scared and running for their lives. Trying to SURVIVE. No one will take them in, going from camp to camp trying to flee. Imaging being in their shoes with our children. See our children hungry, dirty and sick. I work in the ER hospital and parents get upset when we don’t look at their kid with a fever for more than 5 minutes here. Can you imagine over there and what they endure..?? We have no right to even complain to God one bit over here in America. God has blessed us with soo much. It makes me sick to my knees when I see what is going on right now around the world and here I am upset about dishes or a husband who won’t help with laundry etc etc. I realized how PETTY it is. and I repent of it. Sometimes we get so lost in our little boxes, we don’t even see the bigger picture. Oh Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, how I repent..!

  60. I realize this is a year old post, but I just found it. I am 66 yrs. old and i have been working on this since I got married at 20. I have rebelled at times, sometimes for years at a time. But I’ve learned a little at a time along the way. I encourage you younger women to see this as a life-long goal. Do what God gives you to do. More will be revealed.

  61. As much as wea ll strive to be Proverbs 31 women, I believe that an Ephesians 5 man would never allow a Proverbs 31 woman go through all of this. He has been called to love, cherish, nourish and take care of his wife’s body, not suffer it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.