Strength and Honor—Are They Your “Clothing”?
Written by Sarah Ann E.

 

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future” (Proverbs 31:25). Can others say that we are “clothed” with strength and dignity/ honor? You may say this could NEVER happen. Well, you are so right. We cannot have any strength or dignity on our own. The Lord is the one who brings strength and dignity to us. Let us look at what characterizes a woman of strength and honor.

A woman of strength is one whose physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength rests in her Lord alone. She is dependent FULLY on her Lord for all the strength that she needs moment by moment. She knows that she does not have any strength of our own, and will willingly admit to that fact. Her Lord controls her every breath, so how can she say that she has strength enough to last one day without Him? She CANNOT. Even when she does not ask for His strength, He gives it to her or she would be dead. Her Lord keeps her spiritually strong against temptations to sin. She knows that she is but dust, and cannot stand against the attacks of the evil one. She walks with the Lord by her side, and would not dream of walking down life’s road any other way.

A woman who is clothed with honor or dignity is greatly respected by others. She is worthy of being honored and esteemed by others. Her family highly regards her. What makes her so honorable? She is clad with the garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness. These are the most honorable garments that a woman can “wear.” Yes, her outward clothing must be neat and not flashy. They must not draw attention to her figure, but to her face and her face must reflect the love and joy of her Lord. Honor is hers because she is also committed to the tasks that she is given. She does not accomplished her work so that she may be praised by men, but she does all things to honor the Lord. Without opening her mouth, this woman is honored. She is not consumed with the externals of life, but she is consumed with her relationship to her Lord and others. People respect her stand for what is right. Others can look at her as a worthy example.

Yet, the virtuous woman cannot be full of strength and honor without her Lord. She HAS to spend time with Him each day reading His Word and talking to Him.

Our pastor preached on Sunday night about our devotions. He said that “there is no substitute to your opening the Bible and reading the words yourself.” He encouraged us to ask ourselves this question, “Is there anything gaining a hold of my affections that is taking the place of the Word of God?” He said that many people have asked him if they have to have their devotions in the morning. In turn, he replied with a question. Would you wake up in the morning and not talk to your mate, just head off for work? It is just as important to take time to talk with our Lord in the morning, before the business of the day fills your mind. Also, he mentioned that what we do the night before prepares us for our time with the Lord in the morning. If we stay up late watching movies or fill our nights with things that can wait until another day, then we are not in any state to meet our Lord in the morning. We MUST go to bed at a decent time to be able to spend and MAKE time in the morning to meet with our Lover. If we do not find ourselves delighting in His word and then in turn meditating on what we read, then we need to check and see if there is anything between us and our Lord.

Now, how can we apply this lady to our lives. I would encourage you to ask the Lord for the strength that you need moment by moment. Your day will go smoother and He will give you ALL the strength that you need for that day—no more, no less. The only way that we can be this woman of honor and dignity is by making our relationship with the Lord the most important thing in our life. I know we are all busy ladies, but if we really desire to be a woman of virtue, then we have to take time to tuck ourselves away from the world EVERY DAY and spend time at Jesus’ feet. I cannot stress this too much. God’s Word is the source of our strength and honor.