Proverbs 31 "Girl"

"She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:12 

I have read Proverbs 31 many, many times as well as I have avoided it many, many times.  The Proverbs 31 woman seems so unrealistic to us.  How can any woman, especially this day in age, compete with her?  We try to measure up to her, yet we always fall short. 

Recently I heard someone say this particular verse out loud and something caught my attention.  Verse 12 says, "She brings him (her husband) good, not harm, all the days of her life."  That one phrase, all the days of her life, is what struck me.  It does not say she brings him good after the wedding or the first ten years of marriage or after retirement.  It says all the days of her life.  Well, in truth, our life does not start when we get married.  Our life starts when we are born, conceived for that matter.

While I strive, and mostly fall short, to be like the Proverbs 31 woman, it is not just for me.  My daughters are only twelve and nine, but Proverbs 31 applies to them also.  What they do now, the choices they make now, will affect their future husband.  The character they develop in these early years will have an impact on their husband and family in the years to come.

Where does that leave us?  My sweet girls look up to me.  They see my attitude, hear my words, see how I care for my family and home, how I pray, how I react to situations, how I respect my husband and leaders, and if I am a woman of integrity.  If I am not leading a good example to them, then I am doing them harm.  When my daughter might choose an outfit that is too revealing, or say something inappropriate, or if she is having a hard time dealing with certain morals or situations, do I let things work themselves out, yell and belittle her or help her develop a Godly character. 

Whether your daughter is two or twenty, or you have a niece or granddaughter, we need to teach them how to be a Proverbs 31 girl as we strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman.  Something God has shown me, as hard as it may seem to live up to that dear Proverbs 31 woman, it is not impossible, otherwise God would not have put her in the Bible for us to see.