Proverbs 31:10-31, Ephesians 5:21-6:4

Proverbs 31:10-31

Ephesians 5:21-6:4

“STRONG – INVINCIBLE – CHRISTIAN”

EASTER 7  (MOTHER’S DAY)  MAY 14, 2006

 

Today is Mother’s Day – a day when we celebrate our Mother’s love and our love and gratitude to God for our mothers – a day we honor our mother’s – but I don’t like to just stick to honoring or talking about our mother’s and our mother’s love on this day.

So — today – I want us to look at what it means to be a real  woman – because I think that when look at what it means to be a real woman we’ll see what it means to be a real Christian – be we male or female.

There are so many ideas of what it means to be a real woman in today’s world. The modern definition of womanhood can be very demanding – and very confusing.

Some of you may know that one of my hobbies is maintaining a blog – or a web log.  I also like to read other blogs and web sites because I believe they give a picture of our society today. 

I understand that there are numerous web sites out there that are advertised to be “by women, for women.”  Many give examples – or models – for women to pattern their lives after.  Many web sites feature tips for women on how to make it in the business world – how to “look the part” of a successful business person and still be feminine about it – and many other tips all the way from cooking and cleaning to how to pick the best mechanic to how to pick the best financial advisor.

The fact is that many women are moving from the home into the business world.  Some are doing this for the first time – and may not have experience to draw on to make the transition — so the creators of internet web sites and blogs are glad to dispense advice – most times with a charge. Over 50 million women are expected to log on this year to internet sites — becoming the most critical demographic of the Web. Bigger bucks for e-commerce. More e-millionaires starting up e-businesses appealing to – shall we say — e-women.
            When a Washington, DC-based market research group called the Women's Consumer Network recently studied household spending, they discovered that women are responsible for spending more than 85 percent of it. So now we have www.ka-Ching.com — a Web site that assumes from the get-go that women will be handling the insurance forms, completing the financial aid applications and negotiating the contracts with service workers. If you don't know how to do these things, “ka-Ching.com” will teach you how, while also brushing up your tax preparation and investment skills. There is also www.womenshands.com — which takes the ancient business of making and selling homemade crafts from church bazaars and roadside stands to the global marketplace. Whether women are selling cars or jewelry, buying real estate or lipstick, it's happening on the Web.
            There’s a lot of things for women out there on the world wide web! Most are trying to convince women to make a name for themselves – go out there and change the world – be your own person –

            Or – as Helen Reddy once sang – be

 

STRONG – INVINCIBLE – WOMAN

 

            There are a lot of images out there with a lot of advice on what it means to be a woman — some good advice – and some not so good

            What’s a woman to do?

            Which image does she follow?

            Is it really possible for a woman to be completely independent –

 

STRONG – INVINCIBLE – WOMAN?

 

Well – when we look at Proverbs 31 we see that the talk of the strong woman is nothing new – for here we have a good image of a strong – what you might call invincible – woman!  

 

            READ PROVERBS 31:10-31 AGAIN

 

Is the strong – invincible woman the one who does these things our passage lists for us?

Well – it certainly sounds pretty strong and invincible to me

But where does this strength come from?

Where does this ancient Hebrew woman get what she needs to do all these things? 

Not from the internet!

Not even from chatting at “empowerment meetings” with her friends!

No – I believe it comes from her faith.

It is a woman of faith the author of Proverbs is describing here.

In Hebrew, the word to describe her is chayil, which is to say that she is strong and powerful and faithfully living up to her full God-given ability. The bottom line is that this passage is a poem in praise of the kind of woman all women should aspire to be, not because she can be the goddess of home and commerce, but because it is a life of using your God given talents – and praising God for these talents.

 

So — we have chayil – the strong woman of faith.

Strong. Invincible. Faithful.    

But what does Paul add to the image of the strong – invincible – faithful  woman in Ephesians 5?

 

READ EPHESIANS 5:22-24

 

Talk about mixed bag of images

At first glance, this is not the picture of the strong – invincible – faithful woman Proverbs gives us.

What gives?

Proverbs says the strong – invincible – woman is to:

 

do her husband good – and not evil

be adept at buying and selling

rise while it is still night to cook for the family

be able to buy property

gird her arms with strength

have profitable merchandise

work at sewing and other crafts at night

clothe her household

give her husband a good reputation

sell some of the clothes she makes

not be idle

 

Then – Ephesians says that the faithful woman is to be subject to her husband. 

 

These seem to be a confusing set of images here!

A confusing set of images indeed! 

 But — are these really 2 conflicting images – or are they the same image – the same person – the same goal – just different aspects of it?

 

Can a woman be a strong – invincible – faithful – woman – and:

 

do her husband good – and not evil

be adept at buying and selling

rise while it is still night to cook for the family

be able to buy property

gird her arms with strength

have profitable merchandise

work at sewing and other crafts at night

clothe her household

give her husband a good reputation

sell some of the clothes she makes

not be idle

 

and at the same time be subject to her husband?

 

Maybe so.

In fact maybe that’s the Christian way.

A woman who:

 

does her husband good – and not evil

is adept at buying and selling

rises while it is still night to cook for the family

is able to buy property

girds her arms with strength

has profitable merchandise

works at sewing and other crafts at night

clothes her household

gives her husband a good reputation

sells some of the clothes she makes

is not idle

 

While – at the same time lets herself be subject to her husband.

 

Maybe this is what it means to be strong – invincible – Christian.

Maybe – just maybe – instead of trying to be thoroughly modern — thoroughly strong – thoroughly invincible – women – and men – can strive to be thoroughly Christian:

 

 doing  their husbands and wives good – and not evil

being adept at buying and selling

rising while it is still night to provide for the family

adept at business –

doing what needs to be done for the other – and the family –

 

While at the same time letting themselves be subject to each other.

 

Strong – Invincible – - Christian

 

Paul gives some roles for the man in Ephesians also, you know.

What it boils down to is mutual strength – mutual love – helping each other.

Not so much thoroughly modern – but what I call thoroughly Christian.

 

Strong – Invincible – Christian.

 

How can we accomplish this?

 

Only with God.

Only with God’s love.

Only with God’s strength.

 

God can strengthen us so we can be a strength for each other in our families and marriages.

God can strengthen us for we can love each other in our families and marriages.

God can strengthen us so we can support each other in our families and our marriages.

God can strengthen us so we can be strong – invincible – Christian.

 

Being a thoroughly modern woman may not be the answer.

Being a thoroughly modern man may not be the answer.

But –

Being a thoroughly Christian woman may be the answer.

Being a thoroughly Christian man may be the answer.

 

Strong. Invincible. Christian. 

 

I believe that the key to life – for a man or woman – is not being thoroughly modern — but thoroughly Christian.

Not paying attention to all the self help sites that are on the web and everywhere we look – but paying attention to God – and God’s help for our lives.

 

Strong. Invincible. Christian

 

So – to all you Moms out there – - Happy Mother’s Day!

I praise God for all you do – the way you tackle the hard tasks – the way you do all you can for your family.

 

And – to all you men – do all you can to support them in their tasks.

 

Let’s all be thoroughly Christian women and men.

 

Let’s all be: Strong. Invincible. Christian

 

Amen.