Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 18:12, The Virtue Nobody Wants

by Marilynn Chadwick

“Humility comes before honor.”

Proverbs 18:12

If you want to be strong, be humble. Strength comes through humility. The Bible consistently reminds us of this paradox. As believers, we are called to be servants. To give up our rights and die to self. I’m reminded of Paul’s realization that only when he was "weak" was he truly "strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

We hear a lot about humility, but it seems to be the virtue nobody really wants. We admire it when we see it in others. But it’s so against our nature to walk in humility that most of us run the other way. I once read a quote that said something like this: “Truly great people are also the humblest. Arrogance is the consolation prize for the less talented.” I’ve found this to be true. The most outstanding and honorable people I’ve met are also humble.

Bottom line? If I truly want to be strong in the Lord, I must also be humble. So let’s reflect on the delicate balance in the Bible between strength and humility.

The Bible is clear about the connection between humility and honor. “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up,” comes the strong admonition in James 4:10 (KJV). Humbling ourselves literally means "to be made low." Another Bible version adds weight to this promise: “He will lift you up and make your lives significant” (James 4:10 AMP).

A friend of mine who has always appeared to be quite confident expressed his understanding of humility this way: “Without Christ, I am an incredibly insecure person, and so I stick close to him.” Isn’t that what humility really is? Apart from Christ, I’m weak, and I know it. So I’m going to make a point of sticking close to him.

Sticking close to Jesus is called “abiding.” Jesus himself made it clear that abiding in him is the secret to strength. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 ESV).

If you want to be strong, be humble. More importantly, learn to abide in Christ.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 22:6, Grow them with the Grain

by Marilynn Chadwick

“Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6 AMPC

Proverbs 22:6 became one of my “go to” parenting principles. I discovered early on that one of the best things I could do for my children was to study them. What delighted them? How did they best learn? Proverbs 22:6 reveals that every child has a “way” or path he or she should go. This path will vary according to their God-given gifts, talents, and temperament.

For example, education should be a delight, not drudgery, and yet for many children, learning is a source of pain and confusion. What works for one child doesn’t for another. One of the most exciting parts of mothering for me was to watch the amazing characteristics that began to emerge in each child.

Ours are now grown with children of their own. But their “gifts and bent,” as described in Proverbs 22:6, were apparent from an early age. Bethany had amazing people skills, a grasp of languages, and a love for learning. DB was a strategic thinker, good with math, and was shooting trash through lampshades at two, giving clues about his love for basketball. Michael was my hands-on learner; thus, he enjoyed a few years of Montessori school. Swimming became his thing and opened doors to college and beyond. Each child was created uniquely by God to fulfill a purpose. Part of the adventure in parenting was helping them discover and develop their gifts.

But what about the parent who may lack resources? Maybe you are a single mom living on the edge of poverty. Is there any hope for your child? Does God have a destiny for all children?

In Hebrews 11:23, we find these words about a couple of Hebrew peasants: “By faith, Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was a beautiful child and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” Pharaoh had begun an extermination of the Jews beginning with the murder of all baby boys at birth. Yet Moses’ parents defied the edict upon threat of their own death. They saw a “gift” or “bent” in Moses that no one else could see.

The Greek word, asteios, translated “beautiful,” is used only one time in the entire New Testament and only to describe Moses. It means “lovely, beautiful, elegant, artistic” and describes one who dwelled in the city and thus was well-bred, cultivated, and sophisticated. How could two rural, Hebrew peasant slaves see this kind of “beauty” in a baby they held in their arms for just three months?

I wonder if we as parents are enabled in some special way to see “into” the character and destiny of our children in ways that others might not? We can certainly pray for them. See the beauty in them. Believe in them even when they don’t believe in themselves. We can look around and see the beauty in other children, too.

Our Favorite Proverbs: Proverbs 31:10, Marriage Tips from Proverbs

by Marilynn Chadwick

“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.”

Proverbs 31:10

What does it mean to be a godly wife? As a new believer when David and I married, this question came to mind often. There were plenty of “how to” books out there, but I wanted to know what the Bible had to say. I found some practical tips on marriage tucked into the pages of Proverbs.

Widely appreciated by scholars as “wisdom literature,” Proverbs contains real-life advice on everything from marriage to parenting. From finances to serving the poor. But I found a beautiful portrayal of what it means to be a godly wife in Proverbs 31:10-31. I encourage you to read these verses, which are actually an acrostic poem.

The poem begins like this: “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels” (Proverbs 31:10 ESV). Some translations refer to her as the “virtuous woman.”

The Hebrew term in Proverbs 31:10 for this famed “virtuous woman,” eshet chayil, is more accurately translated “woman of valor.” The concept of a woman of valor is quite common among Jews, even today. A long-standing custom the evening before Shabbat is for the husband to recite or even sing the words of Proverbs 31, “The Woman of Valor,” as a way to honor his wife.

The woman of valor revealed in Proverbs 31 is a wife and mother. She is also a warrior, a “fighter” at heart. She fights not only for her personal world but also for the world around her. For her marriage and family. For her community. As I listen to conversations with women of all ages, stages, and walks of life, I’m hearing a recurring theme—their heart’s desire to be strong for their families and communities. In short, they long to be strong women of God who influence the world.

Simply put, valor is personal bravery in the face of danger. In its nearly 100 uses in the Old Testament, the word for valor, chayil, is most often used to describe warriors, such as King David’s “mighty men.” Sometimes it’s used to describe God himself, especially when he gives power to his people to fight a battle.

I find the term “woman of valor” both compelling and poetic. Younger women tell me they like this expression of womanhood that is both kind and strong. I believe we need to become women of valor as we face our battles today. As wives, we not only nurture and care for our husbands and children, but we are also called to fight for their well-being.

A fresh look at eshet chayil, the woman of valor in Proverbs 31:10, has opened my eyes to a greater understanding of the joy, fulfillment, and impact God desires for us to have as wives, mothers, and grandmothers. Perhaps it’s time to reclaim this strong, brave, and beautiful portrayal of womanhood.

This Moment of Hope is adapted from Woman of Valor, Discovering the Courage and Strength God Gave You, by Marilynn Chadwick. For more inspiration or to order the newly Revised Edition of this book, please click here.