As a Christian homesteader, I feel like we are always working on ways we can better ourself, improve our work ethic, productivity and make the home a place that others can feel the love, beauty and majesty of the Lord. We work for His glory and we work unto the Lord in all we do, are there ways in Scripture that we can find applicable passages to learn from in this area of our life? Someone to reflect on with efficiency of work? We all know the passage of Proverbs 31, and today I want to dissect how the Proverbs 31 message translates to our work on a homestead. This is: The Proverbs 31 Homestead: Wisdom for Modern Women in the Home and Garden.
PROVERBS 31 WOMAN ON THE HOMESTEAD | LEARNING TRADITIONAL SKILLS
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For each of us there is something to glean and learn about work, Jesus, our homestead, our wisdom and knowledge and more in this small section of Scripture. The Proverbs 31 passage- and Proverbs in general- are both great places to learn practical life lessons and skills. Today we will be applying Proverbs 31:10-31 and the practicalities of the passage to our farming and gardening efforts. This is for advanced farmers, beginner growers and for all homesteaders in between!
Let’s take a look at five ways this section of Scripture can teach us more about our homestead. We want to have an amazing homestead, and from the Bible, this is a few ways to do that.
1.) “She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.” Proverbs 31:13 ESV
The first takeaway we can implement into our homestead journey for the perspective of the Proverbs 31 passage is based on our work ethic.
Are we working hard on the homestead? Do we have an efficient homestead and schedule? Does our farm, garden, kitchen, etc. show that we are lazy or that we work hard? Or, more practically, is there progress in our work? There is no shame to have dishes in the sink when there are really big progress points in other places of the homestead. For example, my garden is beautiful, my laundry might need treasured because it’s been sitting in the washer too long. Find a happy medium.
“She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.”
Proverbs 31:16 ESV
Can you think of ways that your homestead may need you to step up and fix some things, organize a system, or care for something that is being neglected?
Oftentimes when we own a homestead, this is our daily life: fix things, feed things, clean things. Often this is a skill and character trait we already have or are working on. But it is a very important one. Hard work is what keeps the operation going.
Ask yourself, with a pen and journal in hand, if there are ways you feel you could work harder, willingly, or things that may need to be worked on, cleaned or fixed. Begin working on these things and ensure you remember to do it with willing hands, joyful hands!
These are the cards the Lord has dealt us, may we steward well and with positivity! Both beautiful traits of the Proverbs 31 woman!
2.) “She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.” Proverbs 31:15 ESV
This one makes me cringe, but throughout Proverbs it is clear that working hard and being diligent and self disciplined create a character that the Lord desires for us. Waking up early and going to bed late (vs. 18) are both characteristics of a Proverbs 31 woman. We see in both instances it is to create products for income and to care deeply for those in her household. She is up caring for the home and putting food on the table for the family when they wake.
“She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.”
Proverbs 31:18 ESV
She is staying up for some extra time at night to prepare for- in our case- farmers market, bread sales, sewing clothes to sell, refurbishing furniture, etc. This woman is working on ways to care and provide for an abundant and secure home.
She is not afraid to extend her day to serve and to create. This is majorly applicable to homestead families with farm animals- getting up early to collect eggs, feed bottle babies, and get milk from the cow for example.
3.) “She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.” Proverbs 31:22 ESV
Along with hard work, from dawn to dusk, we see more practical ways she continues to provide for the family with her skills.
She isn’t just working hard, she isn’t just rising early and getting to bed late. She is using her work and time to create quality and useful things for her family. According to Scripture she is putting her time and energy into beneficial activities. In this case she is sewing quality products for her family, but this can also look like bread making, gardening, building, welling merchandise and other things that bring goodness and provision to the home. What are you doing with your time and efforts?
4.) “She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.” Proverbs 31:21 ESV
The homesteader in comparison to the Proverbs 31 wisdom, should be using her time to work hard, on the right things. But that is not all. We see a big theme in this passage that the Lord’s people can wisely prepare for the future. Preserving food, buying and sewing warm clothes for Winter. It is wise- not paranoid to prepare for a coming season. What do you have set up for the future that has you prepared to enter whatever a new season brings?
If you are looking for ways to apply this, check this list out:
- Dehydrated foods and herbs
- Can food (jams, stew, meat, apple sauce, pickles, etc.)
- Save money for quality- not quantity- clothing items for your family based on the weather conditions of your area, year round.
- Plan wisely and budget
5.) “She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.” Proverbs 31:24 ESV
Her wisdom extends to the marketplace, selling her home goods. She lets her talents provide for her family and their expenses.
Think about ways your homestead can work for you. What things can you sell from your homestead? Can you bring your garden produce to the farmers market? Do you see and knit? Are you a baker or cook within your own home? Can you begin advertising your bread as a home bakery?
The efficiency of the Proverbs 31 woman doesn’t waste time, she sees progress that benefits her home and those she sells her profitable goods to. She sees money come in from her talents to help her family.
Sewing Supplies- Be careful to buy a high quality machine not a cheap machine to start
Our ancestors were so good at containing many of these qualities. We should begin to work on our traditional skills, and providing for ourselves and our community so that others say of us these things:
“Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.”
Proverbs 31:23, 26, 28, 30-31 ESV
Why all do you glean from this passage? We’re you able to think of ways to bring her hard work and wisdom into your own situation?
Thank you for reading, I pray to thank God for each of you and hope that you find value in the content we share. May the Lord sure His truth alone and true doctrine and push aside anything that isn’t His intended purpose for. Be sure to comment your favorite points and let me know why you want to hear from us more often!
