P31W: The Danger of Snoozing (Part 1)

When the covers are pulled over my head, it's still dark outside, and I want to go back to sleep, the last thing on my mind is being a Proverbs 31 Woman. I hit the alarm clock once, twice, sometimes three, and even four times.

In this study about the P31W and how she lived her life, I am not surprised to see a the reoccurring theme of diligence. She is a woman who is never behind schedule, on top of things, and continuously working hard in everything she does!

Verse 15 in Proverbs 31 says:

"She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls."

The P31W had a houseful of people and the fact that they needed to be cared for was something that didn't pass her. She was pro-active in caring for her family! Let's take ourselves back to her time period. Preparing food was no little task. It was huge. She didn't have wonder-bread and pre-sliced turkey breast. Wheat had to be milled into flour, and any meat had to be *gag* prepared all the way from living-and-breathing-with-fur-stage into patties for the grill (okay, well I know that technically they wouldn't be eating hamburgers or even beef for that matter, but you get my point). And she rose "while it is yet night" (ESV) to get it done.

Have you noticed that she is not daunted by any task?

Today, thank goodness, preparing food doesn't take that much hard work and energy, but I don't think "preparing food" is the lesson we - the gals of today - are supposed to gather from this. Constantly throughout the chapter we are seeing that the P31W served. Always. To everyone, especially her family! As teens, we don't have the responsibility of feeding a family or servants, but as Christian women we have the responsibility of service to others. In Galatians 5, Paul is talking to the Galatians about our freedom in Christ. I love verses 13-14. It sums up service for us!

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”"

We are to serve in obedience to God!

I don't know what the opportunities for service are in your life. Maybe it's helping your brother or sister with school, your mom with breakfast, or writing a thank-you card to the elders in your church. Maybe there is a nursing home, or park that you could be a service in. Maybe you work a job, blog, play piano, or frisbee golf. But WHATEVER you are doing, there are always, always ways to serve people. You don't have to look outside your own home. An encouraging hug, a phone call to your grandmother or sweeping the garage for your dad are all acts of service! :) So don't feel like you can't serve people because you are young and may not have lots of responsibilities! Quite the opposite. Listen to this verse; it should still every fear you have that you may not be able to do anything!

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)"

I've said this before and I'll say it again! Prayer is the answer. If you express to God your desire to serve other people, then He will show you. Grab a pencil and a piece of paper and just sit in the presence of God, quietly asking Him to show you. He will! As you think of ideas through the next couple of days, write them down and give them a shot.

We can spiritually "snooze" if we neglect the importance of serving other people. We won't be growing in Christ if we live for ourselves only. Just like if we over-sleep and don't get out enough, we will get fat and lazy! If we "snooze" through the Christian life and don't exercise Godliness through service, we will get lazy and believe that others can handle it (Which they might be able to, but that's not the point. :D) and we don't really need to lift a finger. We can't let our service muscles get weak. Use them! They will only benefit us when kept up and challenged!

I love, love, love this verse and my next few posts will be about a few different applications to it. This is only one of the things that I believe God is communicating! So stay tuned...

Be a P31W, stop snoozing and SERVE!