Greater than Rubies

Did you ever consider that a woman that develops the traits of the Proverbs 31 woman is very valuable? With a price far greater than rubies?

A ruby that is clear, transparent, and without fault, consisting of a uniform deep red color, is currently the most valuable precious stone known to man. Every woman is precious to God; but a true helpmeet is a real treasure for a husband to behold – especially one that shows she can manage everything life throws at her with grace, peace, love, and a joy of the Lord!

Using a scale of 1 to 10, where would you score yourself?

A tough question, I know. Even for me. In some areas, I would give myself an 8. But when it comes to grace, peace, and patience - I am more in the 2 to 3 range. And my score changes from day to day. And from challenge to challenge. Someone once told me that I "was a river that ran deep". They felt that while I faced many challenges and had waves and currents constantly in motion on the surface, my strength and faith was the calm, cool, still water at the riverbed. I admit my riverbed has faced an earthquake or two that really shook my faith, but I have endured. I find peace in the imagery.

The ebb and flow of life has its advantages too. It can help you to learn yourself - your strengths and weaknesses. You can more easily identify the natural gifts and talents that God has blessed you with. And, adversity also helps you to discern your spiritual gifts and ways that you can minister to others. All of this combined, is what give your "ruby" its unique qualities.

Today, I want you to work on identifying your strengths and weaknesses, your gifts and talents, and your spiritual gifts and ministries. You might need the help of a trusted friend – better yet, your husband – to help you. I know that it can be very hard to know what our God-given talents are. It is something that I struggle with too. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses are important because it well help you to stay motivated. Think of it in terms of the Serenity Prayer – know what you can change; know what you cannot change; and know the difference between the two.

As we continue to work on emulating the Proverbs 31 woman, knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help you to know what you can change (your weaknesses); know what you cannot change (or at least, should not – your gifts and talents); and know the difference. I think most women spend a lot of time focusing on doing only what is easy, comes naturally, and requires the minimum amount of effort. They become really good at doing those few things and let everything else slide. In other words, the ruby is not consistent in color – some areas shine brighter than others, while the rest is a bit discolored and dusty.

I am no exception, believe you me. I love to be organized, neat, and clean. I don’t care for chaos and disorder. But I hated cleaning bathrooms - especially the nasty old toilet. And doing dishes is not a favorite task either, (so it really is no surprise that my husband's hot spot is the kitchen!) In the past, my house could be neat, clean, and comfortable with a dirty bathroom and dirty dishes in the sink and I just didn't care. Before I met my husband and I worked full time, I actually hired a cleaning service to come in twice a month just to clean the kitchen and baths, along with general maintenance cleaning! I would personally put off cleaning the bathrooms until company was coming. And then, I would put on the hazmat suit and take care of business.

Try and determine what your strengths, weaknesses, talents, spiritual gifts, and ministries are. Review these lists periodically. You may have discovered or developed some new strengths and been able to eliminate some of those weaknesses. Acknowledge your successes – no matter how big or small they may be!

Blessings be upon you.