Dressing with Strength
Perhaps the most notable thing about the virtuous woman is how she wakes up.
Have you noticed it?
Proverbs 31 tells us the virtuous woman gets up early and “dresses herself with strength.”
Some women are naturally “strong” women. The Proverbs 31 woman would seem to be one of them if we met her during the course of her day.
We would see her facing challenges with confidence. We would see her laughing at the future. We would see her speaking kindly to her children. We would see her making wise decisions and providing for her family and serving the needy.
But Scripture is so good to show us this “strong” woman in the morning, when she is first arising. Here we see her starting the day before the others arise and dressing herself, not with a fashionable top and flowing skirt but with a mindset.
In other words, she isn’t necessarily a natural when it comes to waking up strong. She puts her pants on one leg at a time like the rest of us. Proverbs 31:17 tells us the virtuous woman’s means and method to being strong so we can be like her:
She dresses.
“Dressing” is a skill, a learned practice. It is not a natural ability that you either have or you don’t. {Isn’t that great news?}
The Proverbs 31 woman had to learn how to dress, just like we must. The phrase here “to dress” implies “Preparing one’s self for something that requires readiness, strength, or endurance.”
Which pretty much describes motherhood, yes? And living a selfless, godly life.
Sure, it would be easier if it came naturally…but once we realize it is something we learn, we are free to start practicing! Just like we teach our daughters to choose their clothing, match tops with skirts with shoes, how to put them on, etc, women and girls of all ages can learn how to put on the strength of the Lord.
God calls us to be women who practice putting on His strength like we would our clothes. Morning after morning.
She dresses herself.
As women training little women, we are to come to the place where we don’t expect others to make life easy for us.
As we learn to dress ourselves, we eliminate the “props” that hold us up and are instead stregthened by the Lord alone. When this happens, we stop making demands of our husband, children, friends, and church family. We stop emotional manipulation, tantrums, and the like and instead become the ones serving. Our *needs* aren’t substantial, even though our personal hardships may be. We have learned to withstand difficulty.
Now I know many women- even older women- who have never learned how to dress themselves with strength. They expect others around them to make their lives easier or more comfortable. They are “high maintenance” women.
Even if this describes us, the Bible has great news! No matter where we are on the spectrum, we can dress ourselves and be in a position to serve others. What tremendous freedom and joy!
She dresses herself with strength.
It is interesting to see what the virtuous woman clothes herself with: strength!
Ever wonder why that particular trait is pointed out? I think it is because God places us as women in situations where we are overwhelmed. The demands He places on us are beyond our abilities. Like the disciples in Mark 6:32-37, there are multitudes of people around us with needs and Jesus turns to us and says, “You feed them!”
Seriously?!
We can either sit there overwhelmed….or we can take up faith and clothe ourselves with strength. My friend, unless we have a good, solid understanding of how God equips, provides, and strengthens, we will either flatline or wear ourselves out serving in our own strength.
But when we understand that God graciously intends to include us in the fulfillment of His miraculous plans, we can begin clothing ourselves with the strength He provides (see I Peter 4:10-11).
Friend, don’t miss out on living in God’s strength. Today’s a great day to start dressing. 
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