In our society and culture, we look to social media for our "pinspiration." I imagine the woman of Proverbs 31 as the "influencer" of her day.
Everything looks very curated, with coordinating colors and beautiful pictures. Her life seems so perfect!
Webster's 1828 says,
"In a general sense, influence denotes power whose operation is invisible
and known only by its effects, or a power whose cause and operation are unseen."
Let's scroll through her feed (the scriptures) and see what her "posts" tell us about her life and influence.
The first thing I see is she understood her VALUE. vs.11-14
She is described as a woman - meaning mature in age with life experiences and wisdom.
She was trustworthy; having trust in a relationship is extremely valuable.
She took time to learn the necessary skills that enabled her to care for her family with confidence.
We each have value because we are ahead of someone else in some area. Satan wants us to "think" we don't have anything to offer others, but we do!
How we think about ourselves is CRUCIAL to our value! Thinking poorly of yourself devalues the impact of our skills, character, and experiences, making us timid and reluctant to help others.
Next, she understood her RESPONSIBILITIES. vs. 15-16.
Feeding her family was a huge responsibility and still is!
She adjusted her schedule to fulfill her obligations.
When she realized she couldn't fulfill her responsibilities on her own she got help, enabling her to accomplish more.
I imagine she had experienced the overworked and understaffed life at some point, and she knew that didn't produce "a joyful mother of children!"
Thirdly, she understood the POWER of INFLUENCE. vs.20-23
She influenced the poor and needy. People all have physical, emotional, and spiritual needs to be met.
"They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel."
Carl W. Buehner
She influenced other women to dress to match their worth. Clothing and appearance impact our state of mind.
She also influenced her husband and his reputation among "the elders in the gate."
Lastly, she understood the POWER OF WORDS. vs. 26
She influenced her family with her words, by how she spoke to them - with respect.
Her children's behavior of rising up and calling her blessed was a reflection of the words they heard in the home.
I seriously doubt she was trying to influence people as we know the term influencers. Instead,
it was from a genuine heart to serve the Lord and bless others.
The best thing I finally realized was that she grew into this woman. She wasn't like this all of her life. If we could see her page when she first started it probably wasn't as perfectly curated as it is when we meet her here.
She had influencers, too—her mother, aunts, neighbors, siblings, the priest, and his wife, and the Lord.
We are ALL influencers! Positively or negatively, everyone influences someone, whether you think you are or not.
I pray the Lord will help me take the responsibility of influencing others for Him seriously. How about you?
Thanks for reading these thoughts the Lord gave me about feeling inadequate to influence others!
Before you go be sure to get my list of the 7 Things Required for Good Health!
