Celebrating The Right Things (Proverbs 31:20)
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Proverbs 31:20
She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
All this week we’ve been reflecting on generosity, and here Proverbs 31 shows us that same characteristic in the life of the godly woman.
Now, Proverbs spends a lot of time describing women — godly and ungodly — and that makes sense, because Solomon is writing to his son. He wants him to recognize what truly matters in a lifelong relationship.
We could apply this in many ways, all helpful and good. I confess I want to be careful just because I’m an unmarried guy and these verses always seem for some reason harder to explain and pray through than others.
But I’ll say this: I think this verse can and should serve as a challenge for us to amplify and celebrate the right things. In both men and women.
I’ve talked to many guys who have ventured into the girlfriend realm and I’m always curious to ask what they like about them, and generosity has never been something named. And you know what? I’m sure plenty of these women they're dating are generous. But we stop short at looks and how someone makes us feel, and we never seem to really exalt what God seems to care about most.
Think about it: why do so many women feel pressured to spend more time in the mirror than cultivating what Scripture calls “a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious”? Because our culture tells them — and us — that outward beauty is what makes you valuable.
And it's similar with guys. The traits of a godly woman are just as important for godly men. And yet many men focus more on the weight room or climbing the corporate ladder than they do on cultivating a spirit of generosity or as I always come back to a humble heart. This verse isn’t about humility but it would do us all a great deal of good if we celebrated that trait more often.
So, this morning, let's value in one another what God values.
To see that true beauty and strength aren’t external or temporary — they’re found in a heart marked by generosity.
Let’s pray this morning that God would reshape our eyes — that we’d not only become people who give freely, but that we’d also learn to honor and lift up in others the very things God Himself delights in.
