Clothed in Strength and Dignity
“She is clothed in strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” - Proverbs 31:25
This is one of my all-time favorite verses in scripture because it speaks about a woman’s character. Let dig into it and see what we can learn about a woman’s character and how to put it into practice. But first, let’s put it into context.
Proverbs 31:10-31
10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
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.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” - Proverbs 1:7a
All of these verses point to the strength and dignity that this woman clothes herself in every day. Although it is not mentioned until verse 25, this woman’s strength is her spiritual character. She “fears the Lord.” This means that she is in awe of the Lord and willingly submits to Him. This fear is the foundation for all spiritual knowledge and wisdom.
If you and I are to clothe ourselves with the strength of spiritual character, we must fear the Lord. We have to put Him first in our lives above anyone or anything else. When we make this choice, it will begin to reflect in our lives just like it did in the Proverbs 31 Woman’s life as she acts and speaks in a way that is beneficial to others and honors God.
Several other women in scripture show us their spiritual character through their strength. One that comes to mind is Ruth. She chose to leave all she knew behind to follow God (Ruth 1:16) and His law.
We see Ruth’s strength of spiritual character as she courageously seeks to provide for her mother-in-law and herself. In God’s law, He had instructed His people to not glean to the edge of their field or pick up what is dropped in the gleaning process so that the poor, fatherless, and widowed could be provided for in the community. (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19). When she went in the fields to glean so that she and Naomi could have something to eat (Ruth 2:2-3) she revealed her spiritual character. Her actions showed that she knew God’s commands for His people and that she was committed to following them because she took Him at His word to provide for the widowed.
You and I need to clothe ourselves with strength just like the Proverbs 31 Woman and Ruth. We need to fear the Lord, follow after Him, and be obedient to His Word. When we do this, we will begin to grow in our spiritual character. Then our spiritual character will naturally flow out of us in our words and actions.
Ways to clothe yourself strength…
Study the Bible – Set a time and daily get into the Word of God with devotionals, bible studies, or studying scripture on your own
Pray – Develop a habit of praying at all times throughout the day not just when you do your quiet time.
Memorize scripture – Set a goal of memorizing a few verses a week
Be involved in your church and small groups – Go to the church services and not just student service; commit to joining your small group consistently even when you don’t feel like it.
But we are not only clothed in strength but also dignity. The Proverbs 31 Woman’s actions and words that flow from her spiritual character are the same no matter where is or who she is serving. The consistency of her work at home and in public shows that she is also clothed with the dignity of her personal character. Her personal character brings confidence (vs. 10), value (vs. 10), and respect (vs. 23) to others. It also identifies her as faithful and wise (vs. 26) with her words.
Ruth also sets an example of dignity in Ruth 2:11-12. Boaz speaks of her being known for her personal character because of how she cared for her mother-in-law. The people had seen in her dignity because she had been consistent in staying by Naomi’s side whatever they faced. But then she further demonstrates that character by being humble when praised by Boaz.
Let me ask you a few questions. Are your actions those of a woman who is clothed in dignity? Are you the same person in private that you are in public? Do you act the same way around everyone you encounter? Are you faithful and wise with your words? Does humility characterize your response to others?
Being clothed with dignity in our personal character means we must be consistent in all areas of life. Our actions and words must be the same at all times. But it’s not always easy to do. You and I must work to be clothed with the personal character that honors God.
Way to clothe yourself with personal character…
Evaluate your actions – Ask yourself often if you are the same person no matter where you are or who you are with
Check your motives – Ask yourself who you are trying to please God, yourself, others
Seek Accountability – Ask someone you trust to call you out when your personal character doesn’t reflect the Lord