Episode 64
Embracing the Proverbs 31 Woman: A Holistic Approach to Motherhood
This podcast episode presents a profound exploration of the biblical virtues exemplified in Proverbs 31, particularly aimed at women navigating the complexities of modern motherhood and familial roles. As I, Savannah, engage with the scriptural text, I seek to illuminate the distinct expectations set forth for women, urging a return to biblical discernment in the face of contemporary societal influences. The discussion centers on the dichotomy between traditional values and the evolving perceptions of womanhood, emphasizing the necessity for women to align their aspirations with divine principles rather than societal judgments.
Throughout the episode, I share personal experiences and reflections, particularly as I anticipate my own transition into motherhood. This perspective serves to connect with listeners who may feel overwhelmed by the pressures of balancing work, home, and spiritual life. By examining the historical context of familial structures, I compare the cottage industry model with modern nuclear families, advocating for a more integrative approach that emphasizes community support and shared responsibilities within family units. I emphasize that true fulfillment comes from living in accordance with one's calling, rather than succumbing to the guilt or expectations imposed by others.
In essence, this episode serves as a reminder that the journey of womanhood is multifaceted, and I encourage my listeners to reflect deeply on their roles as mothers, wives, and individuals. By fostering a holistic understanding of our responsibilities, we can create a nurturing environment that honors both our personal aspirations and our divine calling. The dialogue invites listeners to engage actively with their faith, cultivating a life that harmonizes spiritual commitment with the practical aspects of everyday living.
Takeaways:
- In this episode, we discuss the importance of understanding Proverbs 31 in its biblical context, rather than through a modern lens influenced by societal norms.
- We emphasize that the role of a woman encompasses both motherhood and professionalism, advocating for a balanced approach to these responsibilities.
- The conversation highlights the value of community support in family dynamics, especially in raising children and managing household tasks effectively.
- We explore the misconceptions surrounding traditional versus biblical roles for women, urging listeners to seek God's truth in their lives.
- Throughout the episode, we reflect on personal struggles with societal expectations and the importance of individual callings for women today.
- Finally, we encourage women to embrace their multifaceted roles and to find fulfillment in both their domestic and professional endeavors.
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker A:Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Casting Seeds.
Speaker A:I'm Savannah, your holistic health practitioner and host, and you're listening to the only holistic health podcast that uses God's singular truth to give you individualized discernment.
Speaker A:Today is going to be kind of a fun episode because it's something that's been sitting on my heart for quite some time.
Speaker A:And actually what really made me want to do this today is Jeremiah.
Speaker A:And I really lived it out.
Speaker A:I feel like last night, which makes me want to explain it more.
Speaker A:I want to go over Proverbs 31, and this episode is specifically for women who feel like that they may be struggling in momhood, or women who their whole desire is to become a mother and a wife.
Speaker A:But maybe you don't realize or know that your desires have been skewed by the world in some way, shape or form.
Speaker A:And listen, I have been a part of that.
Speaker A:I've definitely fallen victim.
Speaker A:And sometimes I've even felt guilty or have been made to feel guilty by other women in the church by being told, you know, like, oh, you want to.
Speaker A:You want to work?
Speaker A:Or why, why did you care about creating a career or a job or, you know, all these things?
Speaker A:So there.
Speaker A:I think there can be some misconceptions as to what women find to be truly traditional versus biblical.
Speaker A:And there is a difference.
Speaker A:And I'm not.
Speaker A:I don't think it's bad that women want more traditional values, but I do think that if anything usurps biblical values, that's when it tends to become a problem, especially if we are judging other mothers or other lifestyles because of that.
Speaker A:And I see it also happen a lot on the Internet.
Speaker A:I also think the Internet tends to spread a lot of miscommunication and hate where there really isn't any.
Speaker A:So there's that as well.
Speaker A:But I just think that this would be a good reminder, and it's a good reminder for me as well, because I.
Speaker A:I struggle with this too.
Speaker A:I struggle wanting to leave my job fully just to be there for our little girl Penelope when she's born.
Speaker A:But also I know that if I'm just home all day with the kids, I won't fully just feel fulfilled just doing house work and just being a mom.
Speaker A:Not saying that just being a mom isn't amazing and hard on its own, but with one child, I know I could do a lot more.
Speaker A:And I love my work and my job and my life that I've cultivated with the Lord so much.
Speaker A:And unless he's fully called me out of it, which has been made clear, the answer is no, then I'm going to be working and being a mother and also taking care of the home all at the same time.
Speaker A:And again, this is no hate on if one of those things is a full time job for a woman.
Speaker A:That's not even the conception that I want to be putting out there today.
Speaker A:But I wanna go over Proverbs 31 and just make it clear that there is a true expectation for a wife and a household and a mother and a worker.
Speaker A:So let's go to scripture.
Speaker A:Before we start usurping our own opinions.
Speaker A:Let's read the scripture and then let's kind of gently break it down.
Speaker A:I know that a lot of women have heard Proverbs 31 and read it a bajillion times.
Speaker A:I just wanna go over it and give a holistic perspective on how to practically apply these things into our life and also to, you know, use discernment as to whether or not some of these things should be done currently or it's just good to look after these things, work towards them, whatever.
Speaker A:But the same way that we'd look at holistic health and figure out what can I do now to serve the Lord through my body and glorify him?
Speaker A:Because we're made in his image and we're made to do that.
Speaker A:We want to do that in our marriage, we want to do that with our children.
Speaker A:And of course we want to do that with our work and our daily work that we're called to do.
Speaker A:Whether it's a full time, you know, momager career, I don't even know, I can't even think running a business or if it's serving, you know, the homeless.
Speaker A:So either way, you can glorify the Lord and what he's calling you to do.
Speaker A:And that, that's what I want to encourage women to hear today.
Speaker A:And also maybe help with some confusion where people think that there's one specific way to live, because there's definitely a nuclear family version which is not known as a biblical version, and there's a modern day and all that other stuff.
Speaker A:So let's compare and contrast.
Speaker A:But before that, we're gonna first get into Scripture.
Speaker A:We're gonna read all of Proverbs 31 today and I'll be reading from the new King James Version, Proverbs 31, the words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him.
Speaker A:What my son and what son of my womb and what son of my vows, do not give your strength to women.
Speaker A:Nor your ways to which destroys kings.
Speaker A:It is not for kings.
Speaker A:O Lemuel.
Speaker A:It is not for kings to drink wine, not for princes intoxicating drink least they drink and forget the law and pervert the justice of all afflicted.
Speaker A:Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart.
Speaker A:Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more.
Speaker A:Open your mouth for the speechless and the cause of all who are appointed to die.
Speaker A:Open your mouth, judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
Speaker A:Who can find the virtuous wife, for her worth is far above rubies.
Speaker A:The heart of her husband safely trusts her.
Speaker A:She who will give no lack of gain, she does him good, not evil.
Speaker A:In all the days of her life she seeks wool and flax and willingly works with her hands.
Speaker A:She is like a merchant ship.
Speaker A:She brings her food from afar.
Speaker A:She also rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and a portion of her maidservants.
Speaker A:She considers a field and buys it from her profits.
Speaker A:She plants a vineyard.
Speaker A:She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms.
Speaker A:She perceives that her merchandise is good and her lamp does not go out by night.
Speaker A:She stretches out her hands to the distaff and and her hands holds the spindle.
Speaker A:She extends her hand to the poor.
Speaker A:She reaches out her hands to the needy.
Speaker A:She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet.
Speaker A:She makes tapestry for herself.
Speaker A:Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Speaker A:Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders in the land.
Speaker A:She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for merchants.
Speaker A:Strength and honor are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come.
Speaker A:She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.
Speaker A:She watches over the ways of her household.
Speaker A:She does not eat the bread of idleness.
Speaker A:Her children rise up and call her blessed.
Speaker A:Her husband also, and he praises her.
Speaker A:Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.
Speaker A:Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing.
Speaker A:But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Speaker A:Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Speaker A:This is the word of the Lord.
Speaker A:Proverbs 31.
Speaker A:Okay, so after hearing God's word and hearing the roles of a wife and also a husband, right?
Speaker A:You could hear just the joy and hard work that she put in her everyday life.
Speaker A:So I want to compare what we just listened to and read together.
Speaker A:If you were Reading with me, which would be wonderful.
Speaker A:To the cottage industry family, the Buckles family and modern society.
Speaker A:So those are three different types of families that are probably the most current, I guess, within the past, even 200 years.
Speaker A:Types of families that a lot of people tend to mix up and confuse.
Speaker A:So this is the cottage industrial family or families.
Speaker A:This is pre industrial era.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So work and home life.
Speaker A:Work and home is all based in the same area.
Speaker A:Families often spun wool, they wove cloth or made goods in their cottages.
Speaker A:And the cottages lived in smaller communities.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So every single individual family had a certain role, whether it was bread making, there was a farmer, there was someone who did wool and tapestries, blankets, one person did clothes, one person did shoes.
Speaker A:But they lived more as a community.
Speaker A:And the mother and father, so if the father ran the business or she had her own individual business, they both worked together in their businesses and in their homes together.
Speaker A:And the kids also helped.
Speaker A:So as a family, everyone worked together, did life together, did community together.
Speaker A:For family roles, everyone had an individual role, but it all came cohesively.
Speaker A:So kids and parents and even grandparents would all live together and contribute to one central work or a couple of jobs that would still help pay the bills.
Speaker A:And for an economy, it was always in smaller scale, it was always local economy.
Speaker A:The income was sometimes inconsistent, but I mean, it would depend on the merchant's demand.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So in a bigger city, it could be a little bit more consistent.
Speaker A:But ultimately, if everyone was trading and selling and giving in a profitable way and supporting one another, then it would be consistent because people were loving one another in a community.
Speaker A:And sometimes money wasn't even needed for community in general.
Speaker A:It was closer knit and it was more rural.
Speaker A:Uh, there was a little bit of separation between work life and home life, because work life was your life.
Speaker A:When you go outside, you're gardening, you're tilling and doing everything that you need to then have food on the table.
Speaker A:But then if you make things extra, you could make some extra pastries and sell it on the side.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So everything had a plan and a purpose.
Speaker A:Uh, technology wise, it was probably based more on like manual labor, more hand tools, not a lot of techno, like technological advances, so little electricity and machinery.
Speaker A:But I mean, people were just in general doing more daily and it was normal.
Speaker A:So that was the cottage industry family.
Speaker A:Next comes the Buckles family, which is industrial revolution.
Speaker A:So this is more, if you think about the nuclear family, this is kind of more like that.
Speaker A:So the work and home life, work moved out of the home and into Factories for long hours and harsh conditions.
Speaker A:Okay, yeah, we'll just start there.
Speaker A:Family roles.
Speaker A:So men, women and even children worked in factories depending on the class system that you were in.
Speaker A:And home life became very separate from work.
Speaker A:So it was very much now there's home, now there's work.
Speaker A:We're separating them completely.
Speaker A:Economically wages became kind of standardized but exploit exploitation was super common.
Speaker A:And there was a lot of growth in urban areas because now with urban sprawl you have home communities that where people just live and that's their only purpose.
Speaker A:And then there are cities or downtown areas where then people would go to work and they kind of kept work life separate.
Speaker A:Now for community families then lived in cramped areas near factories because the bigger the family the more it cost to survive.
Speaker A:And community and life pretty much changed at that point.
Speaker A:Technology wise it was a rise in the machines, steam power and industrial process.
Speaker A:Now let's look at modern society, work and home life.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A: e kind of started in more the: Speaker A:So the nuclear era era was a little bit of the combination between the buckles family and the modern society.
Speaker A:And you'll see why in a moment.
Speaker A:So work in home life work was usually outside of the home which started in the buckle society but with remote work.
Speaker A: s only been within like since: Speaker A:That's very, very new.
Speaker A:Family roles, often individual income households, right were glorified but now dual income households have become much more common.
Speaker A:Gender roles are a little bit more flexible and kids usually don't work economic wise global digital economy and much more services tech based and way less trade community wise.
Speaker A:Digital and physical communities digital has definitely taken over more mobility I guess in your community.
Speaker A:So you know, cuz I can contact my friend friend in New York very easily but sometimes it's less close knit.
Speaker A:More oftentimes than not technology wise it's advanced tech, Internet, automation, AI, all that stuff.
Speaker A:So the nuclear family kind of sits in between those.
Speaker A:Because I feel like what a lot of people tend to want to revert back to is for us, I guess being as a millennial, women want to revert back to like oh it'd be so nice to not have to work and take care of kids and do a household and put dinner on the table and and, and, and, and everything's always about and right.
Speaker A:But at the end of the day I live in Southern California and the ands will always forever keep piling up because we live in a state where it's almost impossible to not have a dual income household, especially if you want to have kids.
Speaker A:I mean, I just looked at a chart the other day that three children in all of the U.S.
Speaker A:right?
Speaker A:This is spanning all of the U.S.
Speaker A:economic state, not just here in California.
Speaker A: kids in: Speaker A:That was during an economic crash.
Speaker A:Let that settle in.
Speaker A:12 kids, that's insane.
Speaker A:Tell me that our economy in our world is not promoting and not wanting people to, you know, have children.
Speaker A:So at the end of the day, when we compare to all of these things, if I were to really want to go back to a certain idealistic time, it would be the cottage industry family, where everyone worked together, they had a community, they held each other accountable, they loved.
Speaker A:I mean, a lot of people loved working with their husband and wife and home.
Speaker A:That's why they were, you know, the shoemakers, the bakers.
Speaker A:Like, it's husband and wife cohesively working together and the kids helping until the kids left and moved on and did their own trade.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So I think often when we think as women of a gloried time, a time that we want to go back to, I rarely, and I mean rarely as a never.
Speaker A:I don't think I've actually ever heard any woman ever talk about, you know, living more in like biblical times or cottage era.
Speaker A:Because I think we, when we think of that, we go back to like, oh, like wagons and like dingy huts and I would live with the shoemaker and our house would smell of shoes and blah, blah.
Speaker A:You know, like there's no separation of work and life and home life.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, there wasn't.
Speaker A:And that's actually what made it so beautiful because then they got to work with their husbands, they got to do life with their husbands, they got to be with their families all day and they'd often share the work together and take the load off of one another.
Speaker A:And that's how things were done for thousands of years.
Speaker A:Because it made sense.
Speaker A:It absolutely made sense.
Speaker A:Now, of course, with technology and things like that, things have definitely been more removed.
Speaker A:But even think about homesteading life and ranching life that a lot of people really yearn for, what do you think that life is going to be like?
Speaker A:And because a lot of people don't, you know, they want to go homestead and have like a couple acres to themselves, that's pretty far away from community.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But what people don't understand is, and until they get into that life, one, if you're not close knit with all the community around you, and you're pretty alone.
Speaker A:You just have those couple of acres.
Speaker A:It is really hard to do things.
Speaker A:It's nice to know your neighbors and share seeds and get milk and then give the other person your, like, part of your crop, like, it's a beautiful thing.
Speaker A:And that type of community, I think, is so much of what women nowadays are yearning for because they feel so alone in the home, just raising kids.
Speaker A:And I don't say just raising kids as if it's not important, but women are seeking community because they're not able to get it from their husband when they're out working for eight to ten hours a day.
Speaker A:And then the husband comes home exhausted because he now has all this pressure on him to solely take care of the household.
Speaker A:And he.
Speaker A:Then he wants to come home and relax, and she's exhausted.
Speaker A:She wants to be taken care of.
Speaker A:So with all this being said, you can hear how there's a downfall in society and communication and community.
Speaker A:One first in the marriage.
Speaker A:That's always what they do.
Speaker A:They split up the marriage, the people working together.
Speaker A:And that's what they did.
Speaker A:That's what the Buckle family did.
Speaker A:It took men and women and children out of their homes, made them work individually and resent having a family in the first place.
Speaker A:And to me, that is one of the most unbiblical ways of thinking and living.
Speaker A:And that's why I love doing this podcast, especially with Jeremiah, because one, it really challenges our communication.
Speaker A:But two, it makes us appreciate each other in our own individual relationship and wisdom with Christ.
Speaker A:And I get to see that every time I do work with him on this podcast, but also, too, just to kind of tie in what happened to us last night.
Speaker A:I got to see that last night when my sister moved out yesterday.
Speaker A:And I remember when we announced it actually on the podcast, like, in August, that my sister was moving in, and that was such a sweet time.
Speaker A:And now it's like, a very bittersweet time.
Speaker A:Seeing her go, having her here for over six months, like, that was really fun.
Speaker A:We hadn't lived with each other since we were teenagers, right.
Speaker A:So having her leave sucks.
Speaker A:But also, too, you know, it's a blessing to start preparing for our baby and our nurse nursery.
Speaker A:And it's definitely needed.
Speaker A:So, you know, last night, I think a lot of the times, like, because Jeremiah and I, we don't make a lot financially, he just started his new job, which is a huge blessing.
Speaker A:And he's also applying to a different.
Speaker A:Like, he's trying to see if he's going to leave tech, basically.
Speaker A:I just don't want to totally divulge into that in case it doesn't happen.
Speaker A:But anyway, there are two big career options for him right now, which is so amazing, but depending on which one he picks, either way, you know, we're.
Speaker A:We're going to have to shift our house around.
Speaker A:So we have a small house.
Speaker A:It's a two bedroom, one bath.
Speaker A:It's not even 900 square feet.
Speaker A:We have a decent sized backyard, and our front yard is shared because we're in a triplex.
Speaker A:We definitely.
Speaker A:Jeremiah needs some office space right now, because right now the job he got was in tech, but we realized that there's no functional space for him if, you know, like, if we do a nursery thing because we don't want our baby exposed to a lot of cords and electronics and all that.
Speaker A:And poor, sweet Jeremiah had to do a little dad sacrifice yesterday.
Speaker A:And he was measuring his desk, and he realized it would fit in half of our closet, and we could kind of put it away.
Speaker A:He could work there during the day and then pull it out or, you know, put it away at night, and he could do it in our bedroom.
Speaker A:And we realized, like, we'd have to downsize a lot of our clothes, too, which would be fine.
Speaker A:But us going through, like, we kind of made it into a fun date night last night.
Speaker A:And that's what I want to talk about.
Speaker A:Last night, we were.
Speaker A:I was kind of telling him, like, I'm a little overwhelmed.
Speaker A:Like, Sierra just left, and we're doing all these things, and I just want to organize.
Speaker A:Like, I'm.
Speaker A:I can feel I'm in nesting mode.
Speaker A:And Jeremiah was really sweet.
Speaker A:He got us out of the house.
Speaker A:We walked around a store, just looked at baby clothes.
Speaker A:We didn't buy anything.
Speaker A:And then he took me to Thai food because it's my favorite.
Speaker A:And I'm so pregnant right now, and at 21 weeks, and I just, like, want Asian food all day.
Speaker A:And we just enjoyed one another.
Speaker A:We had some Thai iced teas, ate some yummies, and then we came home, kind of rested a little bit, and we got out of the space and came home and we just both started having fun, measuring things and thinking of ideas and trying to get really creative, even if it was the dumbest thing ever.
Speaker A:Just listening to each other and laughing and being like, okay, that was a stupid idea, but let's try again.
Speaker A:And we actually ended up organizing our entire house in our heads and kind of made a game plan.
Speaker A:But the thing is, I Had to take out of the context that, like, Jeremiah doesn't have to take me on some fancy and super intentional date for it to be meaningful.
Speaker A:And he also took a step back and realized, like, my wife actually needs this, but also, let's make it fun and measure things and think of creative ideas and just kind of visualize together, because this is the biggest part of her life right now and soon to be mine.
Speaker A:So for us, we got to have a little bit of that cottage aspect.
Speaker A:When we worked together for the benefit of our family and just for us and what worked for us, we put our marriage first, which is always going to benefit Penelope in the long run.
Speaker A:And I, I do hear people say, like, yeah, make sure you make time for dates and you get out and get away from the kids as much as possible.
Speaker A:Always you.
Speaker A:The marriage first.
Speaker A:Marriage, marriage, marriage.
Speaker A:When it comes to, like, Christian, I think recommendations and dating and life, but I rarely ever hear at churches and I wish I heard this more that it's the small things.
Speaker A:Like, I can also just take a shower and look pretty for once.
Speaker A:That hasn't happened in months and go flirt with my husband.
Speaker A:And that's still a sweet, intentional, you know, like, flirty date.
Speaker A:It doesn't have to be a big deal.
Speaker A:Or I can just do the laundry and reorganize things and show him and be excited and be like, look what I did for us.
Speaker A:And he also matches that excitement, you know, I don't know.
Speaker A:So I just wanted to make it clear that before we now bring this all back into Proverbs, that it doesn't have to be a big ordeal and you guys can do things that are small together to kind of still have that cottage lifestyle, even if you're financially struggling, even, if, I don't know, you have 14 kids and you live on a ranch.
Speaker A:No matter what life you have, as long as you as husband and wife are truly pouring into one another and excitement and joy and love, no matter what season you're in or whatever you're doing, God's going to bless that and bless your marriage and honor you through that, especially if you're glorifying him.
Speaker A:What you're going to.
Speaker A:If.
Speaker A:If you' loving one another virtually virtue virtuously is what I was trying to say, and righteously.
Speaker A:So let's go back to Proverbs 31 and just kind of do an overall check.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:So in the beginning, King Lamuel is given some advice about what kind of woman is beautiful and virtuous and great versus not.
Speaker A:But he Also kind of gives some advice for husbands as well, and a little bit of kids, but not a ton.
Speaker A:It's mostly about women.
Speaker A:So do not give your strength to women.
Speaker A:Know your ways.
Speaker A:That which destroys kings.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:So a lot of people interpret this different ways, but this is for the man to understand.
Speaker A:I've heard that people say, like, do not be aggressive with women physically.
Speaker A:I've also heard other people say, like, don't be domineering.
Speaker A:Either way, whatever her strength means, do not overpower her is what we'll take it.
Speaker A:I also love that it's talks about not being intoxicated by wine and to be a just husband ultimately.
Speaker A:And I, I just think it's something that's definitely overlooked in Proverbs 31.
Speaker A:It also talks about how a husband should open his mouth righteously and judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I just, again, I feel like these things are not spoken about how the husband is supposed to be loving to the poor, to the needy, and be a righteous judge.
Speaker A:Which of.
Speaker A:Who wouldn't.
Speaker A:Who wouldn't value those things in a husband?
Speaker A:But imagine if you two were working in a home together, loving on people together, bringing people in whether they needed just a meal or a place to sleep for the night.
Speaker A:You could do that if you, if you were in more of a cottage lifestyle, it's a lot easier.
Speaker A:But if a husband has to go to work all day somewhere else outside of the house, and you just brought in a homeless person that you don't really know super well, how can he then hold that person accountable all day?
Speaker A:He can't.
Speaker A:That's why a lot of people don't bring in strangers into their homes, because your home becomes your sanctuary of where your kids and your wife alone are safe.
Speaker A:So again, it removes being able to love on people even more in depth to a certain extent.
Speaker A:Right, so now I'm gonna hop over to verse 10 because that was one through nine.
Speaker A:Now it starts talking about a virtuous wife and how she's worth more than rubies.
Speaker A:Her heart is of her husband because she saved he safely trusts her.
Speaker A:So a virtuous wife is also a trustworthy wife.
Speaker A:He will have no lack of she.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, sorry.
Speaker A:He will have no lack of gain.
Speaker A:She does him good, not evil, all the days of her life.
Speaker A:So this is just talking about her character.
Speaker A:I feel like that's something that as women we always should be working on because I feel like women especially are tempted to have immoral character in with our mouth I think specifically our thoughts and our mouth is something that we definitely need to hold accountable more than ever, especially when it's easy to do it on social media and just kind of let things slip because you feel like there's a wall between you and the other person.
Speaker A:And it's not true.
Speaker A:Next, in verse 13, she seeks wool and flax and willingly works with her hands.
Speaker A:She is like the merchant ships.
Speaker A:She brings her food from afar.
Speaker A:Okay, next, also verse 15, she also rises while it is yet night, so before the sun comes up the morning, and provides food for her household and a portion for her servants.
Speaker A:Maid servants, she's considered.
Speaker A:She considers a field and buys it from her profits.
Speaker A:She plants a vineyard.
Speaker A:So let's talk about these verses, because now it's talking about a woman who not only does she speak, well, she's trustworthy, but this woman also, she literally goes out to merchants.
Speaker A:She seeks wool and flax, or maybe she grows it herself, I don't know.
Speaker A:She's willingly working with her hands.
Speaker A:It says in verse 13, she is like a merchant ship.
Speaker A:She brings her food from afar.
Speaker A:So she will go out, bring food, trade, do all these different things.
Speaker A:And she provides meals.
Speaker A:She makes meals for the people who serve under her.
Speaker A:She makes meals for her family, for her kids.
Speaker A:She is her own provider while also taking care of a family.
Speaker A:That's amazing.
Speaker A:Like, she's.
Speaker A:This is how she's taking care of her family.
Speaker A:That's amazing.
Speaker A:And she also goes out and buys her own land and profits off of it.
Speaker A:She plants her own vineyard.
Speaker A:And her husband's like, yeah, I trust you.
Speaker A:You buy what's right.
Speaker A:You know what to do.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker A:Could you imagine, ladies?
Speaker A:I don't think there's no way and I have that trust with each other yet.
Speaker A:Like, we have to talk about any.
Speaker A:I think we made a rule that if anything's over 50, we talk about it.
Speaker A:This girl, she's allowed to buy land.
Speaker A:I'm gonna talk to Jeremiah about this, actually.
Speaker A:I'm going to be like, the next time I have to talk about something over 50 bucks, I'm be like, so you don't trust me enough to buy land?
Speaker A:Anyway, let's get to verse 17.
Speaker A:She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:She strengthens her arms.
Speaker A:I wonder if that means, like, she's just takes good health, good care of herself.
Speaker A:I don't know, but she girds herself with strength.
Speaker A:I think you have to be pretty strong to literally do all the work that they were talking about earlier, so I'm just gonna go with that.
Speaker A:She perceives that her merchandise is good and her lamp does not go out by night.
Speaker A:Oh, I do love this.
Speaker A:So that's the thing.
Speaker A:Her products and the things that she makes and sells and even the garden and the things that she does for providing for her family.
Speaker A:She knows that it's good.
Speaker A:She's put not just any type of knowledge, but she has deep wisdom in creation itself and uses it right.
Speaker A:So this is what we talk about often with holistic health.
Speaker A:If you are going to be a provider for your family in some way, which you are, if you're a woman, if you're a mother, you are a provider.
Speaker A:If you are a wife, you're a type of provider.
Speaker A:And if you're single, you're a provider for yourself, for the Lord and for yourself for all of those things.
Speaker A:It's the Lord first, but ultimately it.
Speaker A:You have to know.
Speaker A:You have to know what you're doing and be an expert in it.
Speaker A:Be willing to learn more, know what's good, what's not good, be willing to have conversations and, you know, become an expert in whatever you're doing.
Speaker A:She's okay.
Speaker A:Also, I love that it says that her lamp does not go out by night.
Speaker A:That means that she's committed, but she's going to keep bringing in God's light so there's joy even when there's frustrations in different seasons.
Speaker A:If this woman was, let's say she did grow flax and get her own wool.
Speaker A:If half of her herd dies, she doesn't let her lamp go out by night.
Speaker A:If all of her flax gets, I don't know, let's do a plague.
Speaker A:It's eaten by locusts.
Speaker A:Let's just say her lamp does not go out by night.
Speaker A:She still trusts the Lord, she understands what happened, and she moves forward to be able to continue to provide for her family.
Speaker A:That is a big, big thing that I do not see in women nowadays.
Speaker A:I see complaints over what we coulda, shoulda, woulda.
Speaker A:I see women constantly striving for like, I wish I did this in college.
Speaker A:I wish that I just.
Speaker A:Blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:I wish that we got this car.
Speaker A:I wish that God would give me another child, or I wish God would give me a child and let me get pregnant.
Speaker A:It's always about me, myself and I and my desires and not chucking, checking in with God's will and his purpose of what he wants for you right now.
Speaker A:Which, by the way, that applies to me too.
Speaker A:That's Not.
Speaker A:That's not just everyone else around me.
Speaker A:Uh, verse 19.
Speaker A:She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle.
Speaker A:So she is also.
Speaker A:When she takes in the flax of the wool, she is actually then turning it.
Speaker A:She's not just doing one aspect, she's turning it into an actual piece of merchandise.
Speaker A:She's turning it into.
Speaker A:I can't even think.
Speaker A:What is it called?
Speaker A:The stuff.
Speaker A:The string they use to create things.
Speaker A:Thread.
Speaker A:That's what I was trying to say.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:She extends verse 20, her hands to the poor.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:She reaches out her hands to the needy.
Speaker A:So that's the thing.
Speaker A:She's working hard.
Speaker A:She's doing multiple parts of her labor, but she's also loving on people intimately with the poor and needy, just as her husband is also commanded.
Speaker A:21.
Speaker A:She's not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet.
Speaker A:So she takes the thread and she creates clothes out of it.
Speaker A:There's a third step.
Speaker A:That's a whole other huge step.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And she's not afraid of.
Speaker A:She's not worried about the seasons because she's prepared food and clothing and done all the things to prepare her family.
Speaker A:In verse 22, she makes a tapestry for herself.
Speaker A:Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:She also decorates.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:23.
Speaker A:Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.
Speaker A:So her husband is also a pillar of the community.
Speaker A:He makes it clear who he is, who their family is, and they serve together.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:24.
Speaker A:She makes linen garments and sells them.
Speaker A:So all of the extra stuff that she did, she gives first to her family.
Speaker A:But now she sells the extra linen and garments and supplies sashes for the merchants.
Speaker A:That's amazing.
Speaker A:She delivers sass sashes, that's hard to say right now, to merchants, and provides now even financial income for her family.
Speaker A:Let me see, where are we at?
Speaker A:25.
Speaker A:Strength and honor are her clothing.
Speaker A:She shall.
Speaker A:She shall rejoice in time come.
Speaker A:26.
Speaker A:She opens her mouth and with wisdom.
Speaker A:And her tongue is the law of kindness.
Speaker A:She watches over the ways of her household, and she does not eat the bread of idleness.
Speaker A:I mean, how often does my husband complain to me that I'm on my phone when I shouldn't be so convicting.
Speaker A:So convicting.
Speaker A:Verse 28.
Speaker A:Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her.
Speaker A:29.
Speaker A:Many daughters will have done well, but you excel them all.
Speaker A:Charm is deceitful beauty is passing.
Speaker A:But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Speaker A:Give her the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Speaker A:Man, oh, man.
Speaker A:Uh, Ray Comfort, who's a really great theologian, but also he goes out and speaks at the Huntington Beach Pier every Saturday without a miss.
Speaker A:He goes and shares the gospel.
Speaker A:He talks about idle hands so much.
Speaker A:He's like, everything right now in the world is just promoted to distract us, to keep us from sharing the gospel, to keep us from doing the things that God has called us to do.
Speaker A:And let me tell you, with all of the stuff that was mentioned in Proverbs 31, My brain cannot even compute how to organize all of that in the day.
Speaker A:Especially being pregnant right now.
Speaker A:Like, I'm just proud of myself for doing some flipping laundry.
Speaker A:I'm literally.
Speaker A:I'm sitting in my bedroom right now, and I'm next to.
Speaker A:I wish you guys could see.
Speaker A:I'm next to a pile of clothes that are just on the hanger like that.
Speaker A:They haven't been hung up yet.
Speaker A:Why is that the most difficult thing?
Speaker A:And this woman is sheep.
Speaker A:Like shearing sheep, gathering flax.
Speaker A:She knows how to do this with both.
Speaker A:Making clothing out of both of these separately.
Speaker A:Linen separate and wool separate.
Speaker A:And then she's not only just making garments for her household.
Speaker A:Homegirl is selling them and providing.
Speaker A:And also, she's getting up before dawn.
Speaker A:I just.
Speaker A:I can't.
Speaker A:My.
Speaker A:My brain can't fathom that.
Speaker A:And when I put into, like.
Speaker A:And she has kids, she has maid servants, she's looking after.
Speaker A:Amazing.
Speaker A:I'm just saying, at the end of the day, when you put into perspective how God created families to be.
Speaker A:I mean, if you think about.
Speaker A:I mean, obviously her husband helps her with some of these things, but let me tell you.
Speaker A:Oh, she also bought land for a vineyard.
Speaker A:Just cash.
Speaker A:But I'm just trying to make it clear that think about doing all of this without a community, without your husband, fully alone, fully just.
Speaker A:This is just you and no support whatsoever.
Speaker A:Because you know for sure she has her kids helping her and.
Speaker A:Or her husband maybe, but she has maid servants helping her.
Speaker A:She has friends, she's community that are coming out and doing this work alongside of her and with her.
Speaker A:I mean, it's just.
Speaker A:It's clear they talked about it.
Speaker A:That's why she gets up early and feeds all of them to help prepare for her household to go to work that day.
Speaker A:She leads.
Speaker A:She leads the charter.
Speaker A:That's amazing.
Speaker A:So what I want to say is, if you're an exhausted mother, or if the thought of becoming a mother exhausts you, or having children is like, that's a no go because it's going to take away from my work or blah, whatever it is.
Speaker A:First and foremost, you are called to, as a Christian woman to share the Gospel.
Speaker A:Your ministry is your life and your life is your ministry.
Speaker A:So if you are not sharing the gospel and all things that you do and glorifying the Lord, you're already, you're already off to a bad start.
Speaker A:So that's a heart check that you need to check in with.
Speaker A:If you're locking yourself at home all day with your kids and that's all you do every day, and you're not able to get out of the home and love the Lord and God's people and his creation, you are not serving him.
Speaker A:Yes, of course there are days that you should be, you know, like a little tucked in if kids are sick and all that stuff.
Speaker A:But if that's your life, that's not living and leading a biblical life.
Speaker A:That's why, of course, you need to be in a church community and stuff like that.
Speaker A:But also get outside of that, meet new people, do things that God has called you to do.
Speaker A:Because if you compare yourself to Proverbs 31, you're not doing a lot.
Speaker A:Like, genuinely and seriously, if someone is doing most of the stuff, oh, my gosh, can I please interview you?
Speaker A:Because we all want to glean from your wisdom, and you're also a unicorn.
Speaker A:A special, beautiful, amazing unicorn.
Speaker A:And we just all love to learn from you.
Speaker A:But at the end of the day, I want people to understand that if you're not doing what God's called you to do, then you're not serving him.
Speaker A:You are not just a wife.
Speaker A:You are not just a mother.
Speaker A:Those are not your only two ministries, and they're certainly not the most important ministries.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:Your most important ministry is to share the Gospel to whomever is placed in front of you.
Speaker A:So, yes, if that's your husband and you're loving on him and pouring into him, great.
Speaker A:But also, too, if he's being sanctified, you're not a part of every single part of the sanctification process.
Speaker A:Same thing with your kids.
Speaker A:You, of course, yes, you're supposed to love on them, pour into them, help them, you know, cherish them in any point that they can where they're coming to the Lord, but also ultimately, they have to make that decision.
Speaker A:And two, all you can do is live out your life for Christ and let them see that as their greatest example, you have to allow them to have a sanctification process.
Speaker A:So then what are you doing in the meantime?
Speaker A:Because I know I'm friends with a lot of people who have kids.
Speaker A:I also am about to have a child myself.
Speaker A:There's only a certain window where you're your child's entire, entire world, and that ends very quickly.
Speaker A:So what are you doing to live out Christ, to show your child and to show your husband that you're serving them, you love them, but also you're serving the Lord first and foremost.
Speaker A:Just let that kind of sit.
Speaker A:And this is why when Jeremiah came to me saying like, hey, you're pregnant, you know, you keep bleeding, all these other things.
Speaker A:Maybe we should take a step back from the podcast.
Speaker A:I prayed about it and I was like, no, we.
Speaker A:This is.
Speaker A:No, this is one of the main ways that I share the gospel with clients, with friends, with anyone who's willing to listen.
Speaker A:And I realized, like, no, if I.
Speaker A:If I can't continue being a holistic health practitioner, you know, in the early stages of my child's life, this is my job.
Speaker A:Even if it doesn't provide right away or ever, this is my ministry.
Speaker A:But it does provide in so many other ways, which I don't have to get into.
Speaker A:But it has provided a lot for Jeremiah and I and actually even for my business.
Speaker A:So it has cultivated finances, which has been great.
Speaker A:Not purposefully, but that's what happens.
Speaker A:So I just wanted this to be a self reflection and challenging episode where we're really asking ourselves, as mothers, as women, as wives, are we really doing all the things that we should or can be doing to live out God's word today?
Speaker A:And what does that actually look like in retrospect?
Speaker A:When I plan out my life, when I see my goals, what am I doing that's actually full of 100% for the Lord?
Speaker A:I hope and pray that this wasn't too aggressive.
Speaker A:And I hope you guys know I do not live this perfectly and I would love accountability in these things.
Speaker A:I'm trying my best to share wisdom that God, you know, gleans onto me and within that time frame that I can love on people and give back what he convicts me of.
Speaker A:Great.
Speaker A:And the day that that stops happening will be the day I'm dead.
Speaker A:I love you guys.
Speaker A:I hope this episode of Casting Seeds was sweet and convicting to your ears, but heavy on your hearts in a good way.
Speaker A:I pray that.
Speaker A:You know, I've been talking to quite a few people lately who listen to the podcast and I just pray that, you know, for people like Emma and Ashley, and I'm trying to remember the other person's name, Courtney.
Speaker A:I think for you ladies who are listening in that, you know that God has made you purposefully in this time.
Speaker A:You're not only fearfully and wonderfully made, but you're made with a purpose.
Speaker A:And he wants to use you for that purpose, whether you want to or not.
Speaker A:You can be like Jonah of Nineveh and try to run away, but he's still gonna use you.
Speaker A:So you're either gonna buckle up and, you know, go for the ride, or you can continue to live in fear.
Speaker A:And our pastor had a really great message this past week about living in love or living in fear.
Speaker A:It's one or the other.
Speaker A:Biblically, you're either li living in love or living in fear in every single aspect of your life.
Speaker A:It really comes down to being that simple.
Speaker A:So I love that, you know, I was honest with them and the things I'm living in fear in and they got to be honest with me and I got to pray for all three of them separately.
Speaker A:They don't know who each other are, but you guys are listeners and I'm really thankful that you wrote in and asked for prayer and help and that I got to love on you and give the best advice I could.
Speaker A:But I'm also a failure as well in so many ways.
Speaker A:So I pray that you guys can continue to pray for me and my husband and our daughter Penelope in our home that we're cultivating.
Speaker A:I pray that anyone who listens also feels loved and appreciated and knows that we are all praying for you also individually to be able to grow in wisdom and in strength and understand what Type of Proverbs 31 Woman, God's calling you to be as a servant for him and understand that that individual take is the most holistic, radical, amazing and like anti worldly thing that you could ever do and I'm here for it.
Speaker A:That is feminism to me.
Speaker A:God's feminism is the only kind.
Speaker A:So I love you guys.
Speaker A:I'm praying so diligently for all of you and all of like anyone who listens.
Speaker A:Just know I'm honored that you listen to this podcast and as always, forever.
Speaker A:Please keep casting seeds.
Speaker A:We hope you enjoyed learning how to cultivate God's creation from a biblical perspective.
Speaker A:Holistic health is to prioritize whole person wellness through Christ like and comment on what topics we're casting seeds or casting pearls.
Speaker A:If you found this information provided useful, subscribe to our podcast for future updates.
Speaker A:Leave a review to help us improve and share this episode.
Speaker A:We would like to remind you before we leave that perfect health cannot be attained in this world.
Speaker A:Only spiritual salvation through sanctification and repentance to God and turning away away from sin will give you a perfect body in the kingdom come.
Speaker A:Nourish yourself in the Word, in prayer, and in Biblical fellowship daily.
Speaker A:Thank you for joining us today and a special thank you to our listeners for making this podcast possible.
Speaker A:Always praying.
Speaker A:Keep casting seeds.
