Choosing Joy in the Midst of the Mundane

As wives, taking care of our homes and family can seem mundane, but the Proverbs 31 woman teaches us how to choose joy even in the mundane, daily tasks. #Biblestudy #Proverbs31 #WomensBibleStudy #GoodMorningGirls

Let’s look at today’s reading in Proverbs 31:27-31 and pray and ask the Lord to mold us into the woman He wants us to be:

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Verse 27  sums up the Proverbs 31 woman! She does not eat the bread of idleness!

We have seen her diligence in every aspect of life – from caring for her husband, children, and servants, to even the poor. We’ve watched her rise early, stay up late, plant a vineyard, sew her own clothes, her family’s clothing, the tapestries and beddings! And the cherry on top of all of this woman’s work is excellence!

Do you see how irreplaceable she is in her home?  She is the one who is making everything run smoothly! It is her watchful eye and her diligence that makes her home a pleasant place.

The appearance of our home doesn’t lie.  It is very clear when a home has been neglected.  As we come to the close of this series, we must remember not to aim for perfection – but to aim for progress in this area.

In verses 28 & 29, her husband and children arise and praise her.

If your husband and children are not praising you right now – do not be discouraged!

Listen to this video as I explain these verses and how this principle should look in our homes.
(Side note: this was pre-recorded – I am not currently at this conference.)

This brings us to verse 30.   The Proverbs 31 woman does not depend on her charm or beauty to get her by in life but rather her character.  She fears the Lord and that makes her worthy of praise.

Her fear of the Lord is what makes her able to accomplish all she does over her lifetime because it causes her to take mastery over her sinful heart.  

She cannot “eat the bread of idleness”  and honor the Lord.
She cannot speak with gossip on her tongue and honor the Lord.
She cannot disrespect her husband and honor the Lord.
She cannot neglect her children and home –and honor the Lord.
She cannot ignore the cries of the poor and honor the Lord.

Instead, it is out of her fear of the Lord that she works diligently, speaks with wisdom, respects her husband, tends to her children, works hard in her home and extends a helping hand to the poor.

It is OUR fear of the Lord that should drive us to become this noble and excellent wife!

Money, praise, outer beauty, a home that looks like it popped out of a magazine, or kids with scholarships should not be what drives us to work hard in life.

The woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (v 30)

So we come to the conclusion – Proverbs 31:31…

Not only is the Proverbs 31 woman praised by those inside her home, but now we see her being praised by those outside her home (v 31) at the city gate.

Do you think she wanted to be pitied for the mundane work she had done?  Do you think she moped around imagining that the grass was greener for the lady down the road?

She had to wake very early to care for her loved ones.
She had to work very late at night to get all of sewing done.
She had to be exhausted!

I mean where are the spa days?  The red carpet walks?  Disney vacations? Or the raise with the corner office and bonus checks?

They are completely absent.

Her reward is praise and honor from those inside and outside the home and ultimately the Lord.

Some may say, “Praise is not much of a reward.” But truly, how many wives do you know who long for their husband’s appreciation and acknowledgment of what they do by their children and those outside the home?

Let’s not despise the mundane tasks of caring for our loved ones but instead choose joy in the midst of the mundane.

May we withstand the hardships of daily life and bring comfort, rest, love and joy to those in our home who are facing hardships as well.

When the going gets tough – remember this:
in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
~Romans 8:37

Lean hard on God to give you strength throughout all the seasons of your life – single, married, with kids or no kids in the home – He loves you so and will never leave you nor forsake you!

As we complete this study, no matter what season we are in – married or single – may we all take one thing from this Proverbs 31 passage of scripture…

A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (v 30).

Let’s go forward committed to fearing the Lord, knowing His word and obeying it.  

One way to live this out, could be to commit to reading through the Bible with us.  All are welcome to join us anytime!

You can find the archives of our past studies on the Good Morning Girls Resources page.  Join me for our fall Bible Study in the Book of Acts. It begins here on September 7th.  Watch for more details to come soon!  Don’t miss out!

Keep Walking with the King,

Courtney

**Chime In**

How has God worked in your life this week during out 5 day study of the Proverbs 31 Woman?

Will you be joining us for the Song of Solomon Study next week?

How about the Acts Study? 

Commit today to fear the Lord, study His Word and obey it!

52 Comments

  1. I will be joining along and leading my group for all future studies! Thanks so much Courtney and to the leadership team for all of your hard work to give us these amazing studies and to be a part of this wonderful community!

  2. Hi Courtney!
    Of course, I will eagerly follow you next week through SOS! When I long for something romantic, I read that book, it makes me dream of my husband, and it adds fireworks to our lives, our love, our bedroom! Have a nice week-end☺

  3. There are 2 mundane tasks I struggle with – the 1st in laundry. I can get the clothes in the washer and dryer, but hanging them up and putting them away is where I struggle. That needs to be the 1st thing I do when I get up in the evening. (I work nights)
    The 2nd one is dog poop on the carpet and/or floor. I have a 10 year old dog who can’t seem to make it outside to poop, and he finds tiny spaces to go – behind my husband’s desk, between the wall and our dining table, all over our narrow laundry room floor. I need to be more diligent to clean up after him.

    I will be joining you in the study of SOS

  4. One of the best ways to remember to do something (and how to do it) is REPETITION. Such a valuable study this week – i’ve read this chapter before, but it bears repeating. It is essential that we remind ourselves everyday of the importance of serving God, of serving our family,…and the best way to do that is to keep reading Proverbs 31!

  5. I think keeping things put away, such as craft supplies, books, cross-stitching supplies, etc.– things we plan to “get right back to”— is the most tedious for me. I try to embrace the happy clutter most days, but want to aim to be a better example/teacher in this area. Going to try embracing joy as I keep in mind the goal of a home more like my Grandmother’s/Grandparents’: lack of clutter equals more room for peacefulness, rest.

    *Looking forward to both Song of Solomon and Acts~

    Hope each of you ladies has a wonderful weekend~!

    1. I struggle here too! I craft a lot but also just moved and have a 5 month old so usually crafting is here and there so I tend to keep it all on my coffee table. It drives my husband crazy.

  6. The mundane task I struggle with is folding the laundry. Once I get started I’m ok but I have trouble starting. I’ve been so blessed by this study and others I’ve done with GMG. I will definitely be joining for this next one in Song of Solomon. Question: would you recommend this next study for someone who is not married?

    1. Totally! The Proverbs 31 woman seems less about husband and children specifically, but more about caring for those God has put close to her…could be a parent or relative who could use care, or neices and nephews, and not to mention those in need that the Proverbs 31 woman looks after. The web of service knows no limits 🙂

    2. I think you were asking about the Song of Solomon study, and yes, all of scripture is worth digging in, and many applications for the single woman. 🙂 I have a few single ladies in my group that will follow the Song of Solomon reading schedule too.

  7. I want to thank you for these lessons on Proverbs. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed studying with you all. Looking forward to The Song of Solomon next week. And continuing with Acts later. I try to do my devotions daily…..and most of the time I do, but studying this way SOAK has really opened up the scriptures to me. I told a friend about it and she thought it was a really good idea too. So, thanks again.
    Hope you all have a wonderful week-end. HUGGS

  8. This Proverbs 31 study has given me new insight into what I need to strive for to be a Proverbs 31 woman. My main struggle is with the keeping up with our paperwork. So many times my husband need some document and I have to go through a few paper mountains to find it.

    I am committing today to fear the Lord, study The Word and obey it.

    I am joining the SOS and Acts studies.

  9. She cannot “eat the bread of idleness” and honor the Lord.
    She cannot speak with gossip on her tongue and honor the Lord.
    She cannot disrespect her husband and honor the Lord.
    She cannot neglect her children and home –and honor the Lord.
    She cannot ignore the cries of the poor and honor the Lord.

    WOW. That really gives me a new perspective.

    Thank you!

  10. The challenge is keeping the dining room table free of clutter. It time a get a good system, a few days later the table is cluttered again.

    I will be joining the SOS study.

    Thank you!

    1. Kathina-

      Ours too! That is my number one trouble spot. The dining room table! It collects clutter and if someone drops by – it’s my most embarrassing room because it’s right by the front door. No matter how hard I try…it just remains a trouble spot.

      Thanks for sharing – the struggles are real! Lol!
      Courtney

  11. I will, as usual, be doing the studies!! Looking forward to them so much.
    Bathrooms. That’s it. I cannot stand cleaning bathrooms. It’s gross, and I only use the one in my ensuite, so I sometimes (not always) feel like someone else should clean the other two. Such a bad attitude. 🙁

    Thank you Courtney for such a great walk through Proverbs…I’m sad to see it end, but I’ve felt very blessed by it!

    1. This is how it works with my husband and I (no kids). He has his bathroom and I have mine. I keep up the entire house- yes it can be a chore with only two people who have different ideas of organization. So we agreed that he keeps up his man bathroom and I keep up everything else. It’s a realistic compromise. Maybe something you can consider. Those who use the other bathrooms can clean them. Lord bless!

    2. Bathrooms are no fun! I follow a lady on instagram, cleanmama, who has daily cleaning tasks. Mondays are bathroom days and can be done in 15 min! It’s really not that bad! Good luck!

  12. Courtney,

    I have really enjoyed the Proverbs study! My husband and I have been married almost five years, and he has noticed a huge difference in me over the last two months! I can’t wait to see what SOS does for our marriage! Thank you so much for encouraging us women to be what God made us to be in our homes!

  13. Weeding the garden and dusting are my two most mundane tasks. I have even used this study to rationalize to my husband why he can’t see the tomatoes through the weeds…LOL! I will be keeping the Lord in the forefront and try whistling while I work. 🙂 Thank you for the refresher course in Loving Duty to the Lord, my husband, my children, my home, and my community.

  14. Thanks so much for the work you put into your blog. It has been a joy following and I am looking forward to continuing into the fall. Wondering if you would have any recommendations for bible study materials for girls 8 and 10?

  15. I have really enjoyed the study of Proverbs and reading your ebook along with the Proverbs 31 study. I do want to strive daily to be a Proverbs 31 wife and mother. My struggle is with “fearing the Lord”. The word fear to me evokes feelings of intimidation. Meaning if you don’t do this then this horrible consequence will follow. I do love the Lord and want to please Him, but not out of fear and intimidation. I don’t want to feel like if I do something wrong then He won’t love me or He will punish me severely. Please help me to understand this concept. I would prayerfully appreciate any advice.

    1. Hi Michelle –

      Thank you for bringing this up. When the Bible says fear of the Lord it means to give him the proper place of honor, reverence and to stand in awe of Him. It is seeing God as He is – all powerful, mighty, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is a God of love, mercy and forgiveness…but we must also remember that He is equally a God of wrath. There is judgement for those who do not place their faith in Him and walk in rebellion to Him.

      In scripture, when men like Isaiah see God – they fall on their face immediately (Isaiah 6). This awe is a holy fear. His majesty and brilliance is so great that if we were to see Him we would tremble and worship Him as He is – not because we fear His wrath but because we would be so overwhelmed by His power.

      So fearing God is seeing Him as He truly is in all His majesty. When we see Him as He is – it will move in us to bow in worship, surrender ourselves to Him, trust Him, love Him and obey Him.

      Hope this helps,
      Courtney 🙂

      1. Thank you! That does help me to understand. I want to be a Proverbs 31 woman who has a surrendered heart, and not just a believing heart. I will “fear the Lord” out of His love for me and not out of intimidation. Your Bible studies are such an encouragement and I am looking forward to the Song of Solomon study!

  16. Having a teenager and pre-teen has lighten my tasks but I have a certain method and I feel I struggle with tasks being done a certain way. I been praying for God’s help for me with this because the kids are great.The task of laundry is another I either forget what’s in washer and dryer. Yes I will be studying with you!

  17. Courtney I am so thankful to God for allowing me to stumble across your name a week ago. I was looking up Candace Cameron Bure’s new book on Amazon and your book popped up as a suggestion. I went on Google and looked you up and it took me to Women Living Well and I’m so Happy it did. I’m a new Christian and this bible study is helping me so much! I am so looking forward to the bible study Monday? Thank you for what you do, it’s truly a blessing to me ?

  18. Thank you Courtney and your leadership team for such a wonderful study. I’ve been so busy that one of the things I let slip lately is my bible study, and trying to justify doing so based on how “busy” I am. I am so glad I stumbled on the GMG Facebook page and found this wonderful study. It has really helped me to understand that I’m so tired and “busy” all the time because i’m trying to do everything in my own power, and that just doesn’t work. So I’m back to following my King and reading His word to understand His will for my life, and leaning on Him for all things. I forgot how in the midst of chaos, that truly gives me peace. I look forward to your SOS study and will be following all your future studies, it’s helping me be accountable in my area of studying God’s word. Bless you for all the hard work you put into these studies and bless you and your family!

  19. How can one find joy in mundane when ones whole life us mundane? Today is like any other day. My husband left to pay bills and do some grocery shopping (because I’m not grown up for such adult activities; That was proven I screwed up and caused us to move to this death trap of a town) and will go to work. I get to sit on my in-laws’ sofa while my kids play and read. I don’t go anywhere or do anything unless I’m driving kids to and from school, or the library. Exhilerating and thrilling. My son would rather play with my FIL than with me. When my MIL is here and not chauffering her codependent daughter around the Free World, they’d rather play with her. I don’t blame them it’s hard to get excited and motivated to do anything while in somebody else’s house amongst their mess. Sure, I’ll get to get up a dozen times to get food for kids, but other than that, I’ll just be biding my time for bed time and the end of another long, miserable, empty day. Sure, I can find the cliche “joys”– they have a home, food, love… Another baby on the way… (ZIve already wondered how I’ve screwed up this kid’s life.) Yippee. I also feel as though.I’ve neglected them and no wonder. I’ve been depressed and miserable for over two years. I’ve not given my four-year-old the same attention (reading, playing…) I did with my seven-year-old. For that matter, I’ve been angry and short and unhappy. No wonder my daughter acts the same way when she gets upset. Yep. Real joyous.

    1. 2nd attempt to send.
      You are of value Laura. I encourage you to read Proverbs 31 over and over. Insert your name in passage wherever they mention her, she,…
      Each and everyday tell your whole family you love them and show it. Read them a book, hug them, wash the dishes, etc. Even when u really don’t want to. God values you. I will keep u and family in my prayers.

    2. PS
      please talk to someone about your depression, it could just be a chemical imbalance. Pastor, doctor, friend, there I’d someone somewhere who can help you walk in the joy that God has for you. You are loved and precious to God.

  20. I have LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this study! I’ve looked forward to each day’s post, the Scripture readings, and the ebook. I came alive with this study. Instead of intimidating me, it uplifted me. It has given me HOPE that with God’s help, I can be this woman over my lifetime. I believe that God led me to this study because I needed it. I hate to say it, but I HATE HOUSEWORK! I just moved about 2 months ago, and I’ve promised not to let the house get out of hand like before because I know it’s a reflection of me. I’ve begun to pray for GOD’s help with my housekeeping, and He has. I will be joining you all in the next studies, especially the one about homemaking.
    Thank you Coutney for encouraging us to “WALK WITH THE KING”.

  21. I have really enjoyed this study. I recently …well in February..started working again after being a SAHM for 15 years. I am having a hard time getting acclimated. My home is suffering, my attitude is terrible. My kids do help (ages 10-16) but my poor house is/was the dirtiest it has been in…well ever.
    Ive had to schedule tasks for myself and my kids to keep things up.

    Pray for me ladies…

  22. I typed a whole big thing, and it went away. 🙁

    I have learned a great deal this week:

    I can make small improvements. They will become much if I keep it up.

    Others are in the same boat as I am–working outside the home, and feeling like the inside is really not good. I am not alone. I can ask for help, the Lord will provide.

    I need to let my husband know how valued he is to me and my son more often.

    I am doing some things well!! I stretch our dollars. I let my husband do the things he is truly gifted at doing. I make small sacrifices of myself without giving them much thought, because it helps meet my family’s needs.

    I have a whole lifetime to get this right.

    As I type this, I am preparing to work on the songs I just received today for worship team on Sunday (eek–I only know 1 of 4). I have dishes washing in my servant the dishwasher. I am running some errands today. It is my day off to do things to bless my family and church. I am feeling hopeful and joyful.

    I am going to be ready for the home visit from my son’s soon-to-be first grade teacher. Our house doesn’t have to look like the cover of a magazine. She just wants to see that we love the Lord, and we love our son. And, we DO!! 🙂

    I am planning to join for the Song of Solomon study. I have never really dug into this book before, and I look forward to doing so. Maybe I can learn to please my husband a bit better! 😉

    Thanks to Courtney and all the sisters who have been transparent and human–you all have blessed me!

    Carissa in eastern Iowa

  23. Courtney,
    I just wanted to say Thank You for your blog and the Bible study on facebook. I don’t always comment but I enjoy reading everyone’s comments they are a great help to me. It is a great encouragement to me to know that all across this country /world there are God fearing women reading God’s Word and growing closer to God everyday. I have been with this Bible study since Levitius. I made it this far and I’ll be with you on all the rest of your Bible studies. I will keep you in my prayers daily you are doing a great ministry . Keep up the good work!

  24. Thank you Courtney for this wonderful series, I have really enjoyed it. It was especially meaningful reading the Proverbs 31 e-book along with it!

    Blessings,
    Robin

  25. Thank you for this study.. I’m brand new to Christianity so I’ve been studying like crazy and its’ harder on your own. I will definitely be joining you for the rest of your studies.

    I feel empowered to aim for the proverbs 31 woman. I hope when I’m 90 my husband will say his entire life was blessed because of me.

  26. I am in and will be leading these next sessions. We are all excited!! And we really loved studying and digging deeper into the Prov 31 woman. Thanks so much for this study and all you do!!
    Blessings,
    Adrienne

  27. Awesome study. Most definitely will be back for SOS. Will invite some friends to come along on the journey.

  28. *SQUEAL* I am SO excited about the next few studies and the JOURNAL! I have absolutely loved using the journal for Proverbs. I’m a very visual person and a blank spiral notebook is a bit overwhelming for me, so having the Proverbs journal was amazing! It keeps things visually organized and tidy, which makes it much easier for me to go back and review! Can’t wait for Acts! Also, I love, love, LOVE your Making Your Home A Haven series. This will be my third year to participate and it blesses me and my family every time!

    Courtney, you have inspired me and challenged me in so many ways. I wish you could SEE how many lives you actually impact! I think it would blow you away! I hope to one day have an influence like you. To have people look to me for spiritual wisdom and guidance is a huge goal of mine. I’m still young(ish) and am praying for guidance and direction for God to lead me! Thank you for all you do!!

  29. I love most of your biblical insights, but I hope you aren’t going to focus on the literal interpretation of SOS in that it’s a purely sexual book. If you dig deeper, there’s a lot about how we are the bride and The Lord is the groom, and this is how He yearns for us and how we are to yearn for Him. I don’t mean to tell you what to focus on, but if you haven’t considered this already, I hope you do before you delve into this study with your readers! Thanks for letting me post this?

    1. Hi Christine,

      Yes, I’ve already written my opening post explaining exactly what you stated above. All of the discussion questions for next week were written weeks ago and will all be from the allegorical view but I will be writing my blog posts with a balanced approach of both the allegorical and literal views. 😉

      Much Love,
      Courtney

      1. Thank you for your reply! I hope I didn’t ruin your study by mentioning this ahead of time, but I was a little concerned while reading your hints about the SOS study throughout the past few weeks. Thanks so much!

  30. Thank you again for the video. I am feeling so discouraged. My home looks like tornados totally destroyed it seems I can’t get anything in order. I am seriously working on it but seem to always get interrupted and they are truly things that need done such as moving children from college to other places, a mother with serious health issues, myself with health issues that limit how much I can do at a time. No matter how much I do it’s never good enough. I really could use prayer to really take control of my home and get rid of stuff. Also, prayer that my husband and I can get along there is so much fighting and arguing. Looking forward to Monday and the fall study too.

  31. Thank you so much for this last weeks study on becoming a Proverbs 31 wife! I was just able to finish this morning 🙂 I’ve been so blessed by it! I’m looking so forward to our study on Song of Solomon and the book of Acts! This week has truly challenged me to praise God through every littl thing I do around the house and for my family. One thing I wanted to tell you earlier this week was that now that my 10 month old is sleeping through most of the night my husband wants me to continue waking up in the middle of the night and pumping so we can keep my milk supply up and maybe even freeze some milk so we can go out of town one night if we ever want to. Being selfish I just want to sleep at night since I finally can after the last 9 months of interrupted sleep! But when I read the verse earlier this week “she gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.” 31:15! I can’t believe how right on that verse speaks to me! I’m trying to keep this verse on my heart and mind and now instead of complaining of no sleep Im praising Jesus he gives me milk to provide for my baby boy! Thank you for being so encouraging Cortney, I am truly blessed by all your studies I’ve been able to do with you! – Brittani 🙂

  32. This was my first study with good morning girls.. I found you from Candace Cameron Bure instagram and so glad I did. I really look to the August study as well.

    Susan

  33. Yes I’m on board for SOS and *really* looking forward to the Acts study. Many times over the years I have attempted to commit to a Bible study only to let myself become behind, discouraged and overwhelmed – and I gave up many times. I’m so thankful for this ministry and this group of women. I started in the beginning and as I check off the chapters and books completed I feel so downright JOYFUL in the wisdom and knowledge I’m gaining every day through the Holy Spirit and all of my sisters in Christ. THANKS COURTNEY!

  34. Wow Courtney!
    What a powerful study on the Proverbs 31 woman! I just finished reading all of your blog posts and I finished soaking in Proverbs 31 yesterday! I got so much out of this study this past week! The truth that is ringing in my spirit tonight is how imperative it is to fear the Lord and obey his truths! Exactly what you mentioned in your last blog post on Proverbs 31. Thank you so much for always bringing us back home to the foundational truths we must never forget! This study has been an inspiration to me to allow the Lord to mold me into the woman He’s calling me to be. I can see myself looking back on this study for months and years to come as I dare to embark on this journey of becoming the Proverbs 31 woman one day at a time!!
    In His Love,
    Leah

  35. Hello,
    This is my first time reading your blog and I loved this article! My one word for this year is JOY so the title of this post really jumped out at me! I love the Bible study idea and will have to join for the others!

    Right now I need to find joy and contentment in singleness and learn love my life just the way it is, right where God has put me. I also need to remember why I am working -because I want to fear/honor God. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by all I need to do….thank you for the reminder that I am working for HIM!
    Thank you for a great post!
    Rebekah
    http://www.moreradiance.com

  36. Hello!

    This is the first time that I have done a study with you and I LOVED it! I have a question about the Proverbs 31 woman. How in the world does she manage to work so hard when it is THAT TIME OF THE MONTH! When Mother Nature comes calling, the mundane tasks are the LAST thing I want to do, because I just feel so UGH! Anyhoos, thank you for the great perspective of the Proverbs 31 woman!

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