Good News for Weary Women
By
Elyse M. Fitzpatrick
Is the Proverbs 31 woman an inspiration to you? Or is she breathing down your neck? If it feels more like the latter, you’re not alone. Author Elyse Fitzpatrick dedicates this book to the “wearied, burdened, wounded, and struggling women who love their Lord but can’t seem to find the joy, peace, or freedom they’ve heard so much about.” She has good news for those in bondage to their to-do lists and weighed down by expectations they’ll never live up to. God doesn’t judge us by how successful we are with our to-do lists. Instead, He calls us to faith.
The problem with Proverbs 31 is that we make it into something it was never meant to be – a checklist used to measure ourselves (or others) against. The woman described in the proverb isn’t a godly woman because she does all these things, but she does these things because she’s a godly woman. She seeks after God first, He provides, and the things she accomplishes are the result. Also, she doesn’t do it all each and every day! These are virtues she’s developed over a lifetime of following and serving God.
The Christian culture can seem demanding and impossible, but there is hope. That hope is in the gospel. We don’t have to measure up because Jesus has already redeemed us. He already loves us and isn’t going to love us any more than He already does. When we put unrealistic expectations on ourselves and others and measure our worth or godliness by our to-do lists, we’re adding requirements to the gospel that aren’t there. As the author points out again and again: You are accepted, and you are loved because of Jesus. The end.
When your list of to-dos becomes overwhelming, ask yourself, “Is all that I’m doing God-honoring, or is it just conforming?” Get up each day and ask God what He is calling you to do.
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