Uniquely Created

“Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come. Her mouth speaks wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her.” (Proverbs 31:25–28 CSB)

Ah, the Proverbs 31 woman. We love her, and we want to be like her—the ideal godly woman.

I do love her description, and I began to love it even more when I stopped looking at the Proverbs 31 woman’s ideal as an unattainable goal. You have to read all of Proverbs 31, because verse 30 gives away her secret to success: “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised” (CSB). She is successful because she is devoted to the Lord.

Keep in mind that success may not look like material success. We have a skewed vision of what success means. The Bible clearly tells us that we should focus on what is eternal and not the temporary things of this earth. Yet it can be difficult to stay focused when material success is thrown in our faces seemingly at every turn.

The other day I was reading in Galatians chapter 6, and verses 4 and 5 jumped out at me. I’d read this passage before, but I didn’t remember these particular verses clearly. They state, “Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. For each person will have to carry his own load” (CSB).

We Are Uniquely Created

You have a purpose I can’t fulfill, and I have a purpose you can’t fulfill. Even the Proverbs 31 woman wouldn’t have been able to fulfill what you and I are meant to do. We were created to honor and worship the Lord, and he has given us specific talents and gifts.

The stories of many godly men and women are in the Bible. They are not there to intimidate us or to shame us, but to be guides and examples that inspire us and teach us lessons. We are to look to them for inspiration, not to try to be a duplicate of them.

Many people today can inspire us to be our best selves and encourage us in our lives as well. Being inspired is good, but trying to be someone you are not is not so good.

Why Do We Feel the Need to Be Like Everyone Else?

Recently, in my middle school Language Arts classes, we discussed why the students thought it was important to people to “fit in” and what they thought compels people to change so they will fit into a certain category. They were open and honest, and the consensus was that people desire relationships. Obviously, this is a tender topic for middle schoolers, but we adults can fall into that trap just as easily.

We went on to discuss the importance of a strong relationship with God as a foundation for all relationships. My wise students agreed that maintaining a solid relationship with the Lord is key in maintaining quality relationships with others. That brings us back to the Proverbs 31 woman and her secret weapon for accomplishing her goals and being praised by her family. She feared the Lord. She was not afraid of him, but she revered him as the awe-inspiring Creator he is.

You Do You

Let’s all share our unique gifts and talents. They will complement one another beautifully because that is how the Lord created us.

Dana Herndon is a writer and blogger as well as an elementary and middle school teacher. She and her husband live in Georgia with their three children. In addition to teaching and writing, Dana loves to read, watch Food Network and HGTV, follow politics, and paddleboard. She blogs at danaherndon.com.

Photograph © Xan Griffin, used with permission