For the past few months, I have shared how the Proverbs 31 woman provides nourishing food for her family, lives frugally and blesses others using her Spirit-given gifts. From what we read in verse 16, it seems she was also a woman of wisdom and financial sense. “She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.”
To consider means to think carefully about something and contemplate it in order to make a decision. It involves reflecting and scrutinizing a purchase before parting with your money. The Proverbs woman thought carefully about the field she bought, probably assessing the land for its usefulness and location. She was likely attentive to the cost, making sure it wasn’t too high and that it would be a good long-term investment.
After this smart purchase, she did not put her family into debt by buying things she couldn’t afford. She used her previous earnings (money she already had) to plant a vineyard that produced food to eat or sell at the market.
I asked myself this after reading this passage: Do I thoughtfully consider my purchases? Or am I impulsive, quick to pull out the credit card when I see something I want? This question isn’t posed to make light of financial difficulties, but to address the way we spend the money we have. I am much more frugal now than I used to be, but I still struggle with wanting things I can’t afford from time to time. Though the struggle may always be there, the difference is whether or not I act on those impulses. This verse is a good Biblical principle to apply in times of fighting with materialism.
What are some practical ways we can apply this verse to our lives? First, we can get out of debt and invest for the future. We can use cash instead of credit cards for our purchaes. We can save to pay cash for a car instead of taking out a loan or leasing a car we can’t afford. Some of us may benefit from taking a look at our spending on things like clothes or home decor and cutting back significantly on these purchases. Maybe our grocery budgets need work and we could do as the Proverbs wife did and plant a garden of our own!
The woman described in Proverbs was not weak, ignorant or uneducated (which is the way some would describe women who are in the home). She was determined, strong, clever and financially wise. God desires to give us the same strength and wisdom. When we lay before Him every aspect of our lives, including our financial decisions, and ask for His help in identifying areas that need change or improvement, He will give us the dose of reality we need. And the very best thing is that He provides for our needs despite the way outside circumstances appear to us. I pray that I can trust Him for His unfailing provision each day!
“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
Psalm 121
“For God did not give us a spirt of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
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