This verse is pretty important (verse 17) because after all the things she’s doing, we see that she needs strength. She’s a busy woman. She’s an active woman. She’s a diligent woman. She’s probably at times, undoubtedly, a tired woman. So we see a very practical verse—17: “She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms.”
If you’re following along in the New International Version, it says, “She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.” Or the Amplified Version is helpful here: “She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.”
That word “gird,”—she girds herself with strength . . . That word means to equip or prepare for action. She does what she has to do to be equipped and fit to do what God has called her to do.
So some practical ways . . . If you find yourself just not having the energy to do the will of God, I just say practically watch your sugar intake. That means that eating has to do with our ability to glorify God. Physical exercise. I find that when I am getting moderate physical exercise I have greater stamina. I have greater physical energy, greater capacity for serving God and others. I don’t get tired so easily.
We know medically and physically that physical exercise is a help in dealing with even our emotional well-being. If you’re always living on the edge of depression, it may be that just some simple steps . . . it may not seem simple to get up and take a walk, but that’s where just taking some steps of obedience, as hard as they may seem, may help just to lift your spirits and make you more fit—girded up for action to serve your family.
When I have some moderate physical exercise on a consistent basis, it just improves my overall outlook on all of life. I find that when my body is disciplined, I am more likely to be disciplined in other areas of my life. When I let this area of physical discipline go, you know what goes next? My tongue. I start wasting time. My temperament. My reactions. Everything else seems to get out of control when I let my body go.
This is important because you are your husband’s helper. That’s what God made you to be. That’s your God-given purpose in life. You glorify God by helping your husband. One of the areas where you need to be a helper to him is in the realm of the physical. In terms of physical and sexual relationship, you need to be making sure that you’re caring for your body in such a way that you have the energy, the heart, the motivation to minister to his physical and sexual needs.
In a very practical way, as a woman, keeping yourself fit in a way that . . . The fitness is not your goal. Fitness is not your god. Fitness is not your objective. Your goal is to glorify God and even in that practical way by being able to minister to the physical needs of your husband in the area of your appearance and even sexually being able to give yourself to him.
Now, there are other areas where we need strength. Not just in the realm of the physical, but also in the realm of the emotional and the mental and the spiritual. If you’re like me, and I know we all have this as women, there are times when we just get drained. We get depleted.
It’s not just a physical draining. Sometimes just in the course of being and doing what God has given to us to do we find ourselves mentally and emotionally and spiritually weary. I want to just say that God has strength for us in those realms as well. The virtuous woman, the excellent woman will apply to God for grace in those areas.
One of the things we need to do as virtuous women is to identify things in our lives that may be sapping us of spiritual or emotional or mental strength. What are the things that drain energy from us?
One thing that will definitely rob you of emotional and spiritual strength and physical strength is bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, unresolved issues in relationships. Where there is bitterness no matter how wrong the other person may have been, you will suffer for your bitterness.
Complaining is something . . . and ingratitude . . . these are things that will drain us of spiritual and emotional energy. Worry and anxiety. These are sins. We may have a whole bunch of circumstances that explain why we’re worrying or why we’re anxious, but God holds us accountable not for the circumstances, but for our response to those circumstances.
When we give in to worry, when we give in to fear, when we give in to anxiety over whatever . . . It may be over the weather or over your children or over your job or over your financial situation. Though the world may be falling apart around us, when we give in to anxiety and fear and worry, we are zapped. We are drained of strength that God wants us to have.
Most of us are involved in some activities that are not on God’s agenda for our lives for that season of life. It’s not that they’re things that are wrong in and of themselves, but it’s not the season. It’s not God’s will for you.
Some of us fall into that trap of saying yes to everything and everybody that needs something done, whether it’s in the church or at work. Some of you women are in the marketplace not by the will of God. Some of you are there by the will of God, so I’m not trying to put anyone on a guilt trip.
I’m just saying you may be drained because you are working outside the home at a season when it’s not God’s time for you to be doing that, and you’re wondering why you can’t have all this energy and desire to meet your husband’s needs and to keep your house and to meet your children’s needs.
It may be that you’ve committed yourself to one or more activities that you thought you had to do or thought you should do or wanted to do or somebody else wanted you to do, but you didn’t check with the Lord first and ask Him, “Is this the season for me to be involved in this activity?”
We need to bring our schedules under God’s control and ask Him, “What is Your will for my life for this season.”
By the way, your husband ought to be involved with you in that process as your spiritual head. If you’re overwhelmed and have more to do than you can do, go to your husband. Even if he’s not a believer, God can give him the ability to give you wise counsel. Now, I’m not saying that every husband can give the spiritual counsel that you need, but involve your husband with you in that process of determining if there are things in my life that should be handled in another season.
Do you know He can do that supernaturally for you? Give you strength. All day long. He’s been doing that for me today, and He can do that for you. If He needs to, He will send angels to strengthen you as He sent angels to strengthen Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane
Jesus, help me to carry out the tasks that You've assigned me to in THIS season of my life. I pray that my schedule of school, workout, volunteering, home, Nathan, friends/phone time is under Your authority and counsel. Jesus take away my idleness and help me to see the benefits that come from carrying out the will You've placed on my life. Help me to stay diligent in matters like working out and eating better. Also keeping the house nice and being creative with dinner. Amen
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