a heart of goodness

i'm back on track with proverbs 31 and how i've missed it! i've realized that i've needed this in my life more than ever and have felt myself slip when i'm not diligently studying the attributes of the proverbs 31 woman.

verse 12 says "she does him [her husband] good and not evil all the days of her life." the proverbs 31 woman has a heart of goodness. she's pure, clean, and selfless.

how is this heart of goodness cultivated? you all know the answer - it's obvious - from God. when Christ is in our lives he weaves this goodness into our lives. the good that the woman does her husband is just as much a part of who she is as what she does. Proverbs 23:7a says, "for as he thinks in his heart, so he is." and the same is said in proverbs 27:19, "as in water face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man." the things in our heart are what show forth in our life. this is why it is so important to have a clean heart, a heart forgiven by Christ, one that is constantly examined and has sinful issues dealt with. we want our actions, words, and thoughts to reflect Christ.

"the wife's intent is on lavishing every possible good upon her husband." (geroge, e. beautiful in God's eyes) she lives to love him, and runs the home to routinely benefit him with good - basically, make his life easy!

the godly wife does this without looking for reward. after all, it's not about doing good for yourself, but your husband and family. doing good for your husband should be reward enough. remember col. 3:23, "whatever you do do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men." our treasure (reward) is in heaven. matthew 6:19-21 says, "do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

in order to do our husband good we must resist temptation and have the absence of evil in our lives. i like how elizabeth george put in in her book beautiful in God's eyes, "at every opportunity to give in to selfishness, resentment, anger, disapproval, or disagreement, she perseveres against evil and instead chooses to follow after God's plan to do her husband good - not evil".

this my friend is easier said than done because it goes back to the heart. it's easy to keep your mouth shut, put on a happy face, however, what are you thinking in your heart? is your heart choosing to follow after God's plan or just your outward appearance? remember, it will eventually come out!

we are on a mission, a life-long mission. take it seriously, faithfully, work to fulfill it!