A Sharp Dresser

A Sharp Dresser

The Ideal Woman

Read: Proverbs 31:22-26

As I sat in the doctor’s waiting room, I felt like a slob. In comparison to the woman sitting across from me, I looked as if I had rolled straight out of bed and into the car. The woman wore wool pants with a beautiful plaid jacket. Her purse, shoes, scarf, and jewelry all picked up the hot pink in the jacket’s pattern. As she reached for a magazine, her sleeve moved, revealing a watch with a hot-pink band. I felt sure that she was also wearing hot-pink underwear.

The ideal woman in Proverbs 31 isn’t obsessed with clothes, but neither does she neglect her appearance. She gives the same careful attention to her appearance that she does to her home and to her family’s well-being. In keeping with her family’s status, she wears dresses made of linen and colored with an expensive purple dye made from shellfish. More important, she makes sure that her grooming, her demeanor, her words, and her behavior all project an air of dignity and self-respect. Her appearance and dignified behavior contribute to her husband’s reputation as a respected community leader.

Christian women often feel pulled in two directions. We like pretty clothes and want to make ourselves look as nice as possible, but it seems ungodly to be preoccupied with our external appearance. The Proverbs 31 woman shows us that it’s okay to dress nicely. The way we care for ourselves reflects on the reputation of our Creator, just as our words and behavior do. As long as we don’t go overboard, we don’t have to feel guilty about paying attention to our appearance. But God doesn’t want us to forget to dress in the dignity that comes from knowing that we are his dearly loved daughters. That’s the ideal wardrobe that will make us stand out in any crowd.

She is clothed with strength and dignity.

Proverbs 31:25