The Women of Court Street

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." This is how the author of Proverbs 31 chooses to summarize his oracle of a woman.

As a woman now in her thirties, I have learned this truth full well in my life. As much as we strive to appear without fault in our external being, our lives are far more dependant upon matters of the heart. A bitter or unsettled soul cannot successfully hide behind a polished exterior for long. The only true path to becoming a Woman of Noble Character, as described in the Proverbs, is through the fear of the Lord. This is true humility. This is true beauty.

In reading the entire passage of Proverbs 31:10-31, it is easy to feel inferior to the ideal which is described. However, if we gaze past the initial picture that is painted for us, one of a woman perfected, we may see something deeper. Some have chosen to interpret these verses as a personification of wisdom, which may well have been the author's intent.

Perhaps you would allow me to offer a unique perspective that I was fortunate to have seen in action today at our Court Street Women's Tea.

Revelation describes Christ's church as His bride. We, as women, posses the feminine characteristics of that bride, those qualities that are unique to women, those that are described in Proverbs 31. As a body, the women that make up half of His bride, we fulfill the many attributes of the Woman of Noble Character.

Today, I witnessed first hand a woman that "works with eager hands" (vs.13), a woman that "gets up while it is still dark" (vs.15), a woman that "provides food for her family" (vs. 15), a woman who "considers a field and buys it" (vs. 16), a woman who "plants a vineyard" (vs. 16), a woman who "sets about her work vigorously" (vs.17), a woman whose "lamp does not go out at night" (vs. 18), a woman who "extends her hands to the needy" (vs. 20), a woman "clothed with strength and dignity" (vs. 25), a woman who "speaks with wisdom" (vs.26), a woman who "does not eat the bread of idleness" (vs. 27), a woman whose "children arise and call her blessed" (vs. 28), a woman whose "husband praises her" (vs. 28), and many, many women who "fear the Lord" (vs.30).

We are the Women of Court Street, but more importantly, we are the bride of Christ, a Woman of Noble Character. It takes the many workings of the unified body to accomplish the work that God would have us do. No one woman can go it alone. I am truly thankful for the opportunity to unite with you wonderful women in our pursuit of noble character. It is no mistake that we come together and celebrate on occasions such as this, for in fact, we are One in Him. We, together, complete the Proverbs 31 woman. Thank you for your invaluable role in that effort.

Proverbs 31 ends with this charge: "Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." Our reward will be truly great when we at last will meet our bridegroom at the gates of heaven. Stay the course, Women of Noble Character! Jesus waits for us with open arms.