Choosing "Better"

Proverbs 31
It's a well-known portion of scripture.

It's become some sort of a life goal for many - 
"Proverbs 31 wife"
"Proverbs 31 woman"

It's good, but . . .

I fear sometimes we overemphasize portions of it and neglect the meaning of the description as a whole.

I fear sometimes we stop with Proverbs 31 alone and forget the instruction and encouragement offered throughout scripture.

I fear sometimes we epitomize a false profile.

Proverbs 31: 10-31  describes a wife who really has it all together:
A wife of noble character who can find?
    She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.


It describes her work, her efforts.
We hear of virtues and commitment that are commendable, even described in perfection.

But, I think the emphasis - and instruction - intended in this description actually lie in verse 30.
a woman who fears the Lord...

The book of proverbs is a book of wisdom and advice. 
We are to seek wisdom and avoid foolishness.
This last chapter culminates on the intro to Proverbs. Chapter 1, verses 1 -7 explain the purpose of the book - instruction/advice for living, grounded in fear of the LORD.
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
This woman described at the end of Proverbs fears the Lord.
Her attributes and accomplishments are meant to depict the fruit of a reliance on God.
When we let God be God  -
we listen; we follow; we serve; we are obedient.
We are not self-seeking or prideful.  
We seek peace, not conflict.
We give more than receive.
We rest rather than worry.

Proverbs 31 depicts virtues that are grounded and fruitful because of her fear for the Lord. 

We have to be careful when the actions become the focus.  Even serving Him cannot rise above knowing Him.

I want to expound on Proverbs 31 with Jesus' words in Luke 10.
There is good in the work, but Jesus speaks of something "better"

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10: 38-42 

Abiding brings the real fruit - the Kingdom fruit.
Nothing we do is done in our own strength and abilities or for our own purpose.
The woman in Proverbs was "praised", BUT praise is not the goal.

We need to beware of the motivation our culture has extracted.

If the productivity of my life is to serve my purpose and point to me, than I have lost the fear.
Fearing the Lord puts Him first.

Sometimes it makes me anxious to sit like Mary.
There are times when I want a product to show for my efforts.  
I want to produce fruit, and I'm so anxious to see the fruit that I do it alone.
God says come in closer, 
sit
listen
and the fruit will be so much better.

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  John 15:5-8

Be Thou My Vision

Have you ever noticed that people "look" different when you love them?
Like friends and family, especially spouses and children.  You look at them, and sometimes it's almost as if you don't even see them.  Like you don't really notice what their skin, hair, etc. look like.  It's almost as if you see the person - who they are - and not really their body.

This can be true even for strangers or a new acquaintance when you are looking at them in love.  It's like your connection and care for the person bypass the physical.

We notice it and respect it greatly in the couples who have been married and loved each other for many decades.  Time changes their appearance, but the attraction - rooted in love - is so constant and real.

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I've heard people speculate about our bodies in Heaven.  People wonder if we'll be young, skinny, fit, beautiful.  Those are all relative terms anyway, and no one really knows.
I personally am not too worried about how that plays out.
This.  ↓
This right here  ↓  is full of more than enough promise and hope for me:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared.  And the sea was gone also. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband.  I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, the home of God is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.  For the old world and its evils are gone forever."  And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look I am making all things new!"
Revelation 21:1-5a

I can't read that without crying and hoping.
All I want is to be with Him.
All I want is for all to be made right.

And I desperately want others to realize His love and grace before it comes to this moment.
This beauty is at the end of Revelation.  So many are lost in the war and judgment that precedes this glorious change.

Lord, give us urgency.  Amen.

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As I have studied Revelation, I've tried to better understand this war between good and evil.  This war that has raged since the beginning.
Genesis is so full.  There is so much in the beginning of God's story.  Just the first three chapters hold tons of clues and answers to the mystery of what God started and planned.

I want to point out one piece.
The serpent comes to Eve, and the temptation stems from questioning and twisting what God had commanded.  He tries to manipulate her by making her question God's intentions, as if God did not want what was best for her.  He even tries to celebrate the effects of eating the fruit.
"You won't die!" the serpent hissed. "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil."  Genesis 3:4-5

Now, if I pause right there.  Eve missed an important point.
Who wants to know evil?
The serpent acted like that would be awesome.  Good AND evil.  You get to know it all.
Anyway, such is the essence of our sin even today.  We are captured by it and drawn to it, no matter how detrimental it may be. (John 8:34-36)

The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise. So she ate some of the fruit.  She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too. At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness.  Genesis 3:6-7

The only thing we know that changed in that moment was the way they saw.
Their sight.  Their vision.
Their view of themselves.  Their view of each other changed.

We often think about this first sin.
The consequences we remember are that Adam and Even had to leave the garden. They would have to work and labor for food, and there would be pain in childbirth.

True, but not completely.

The first consequence was their sight.  I don't completely understand this, and I don't think anyone completely can, but -
I know that the way we see ourselves affects everything we do and every relationship we have.  From this very first sin,  Adam and Eve were no longer comfortable with themselves.
They felt shame.
They were no longer comfortable together.
And, they were no longer comfortable to be in God's presence.
This sight - that now included good and evil - created a barrier.
It changed everything.

God did punish them, and they could no longer have the same relationship with Him.
They were separated by their sin.

But, leaving the garden was actually more about God's love and protection than part of the punishment.  God banished them from the garden so they could not eat from the tree of life.  The tree of life would allow them to live forever.  God did not want them to live forever in their state of shame and brokenness.

God's plan would continue - ultimately with the complete work of salvation in Jesus Christ, His son.
Jesus would redeem all that was lost and make a Way for people to come back to God - fully and completely.

Back to Revelation -

And the angel showed me a pure river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, coursing down the center of the main street.  On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit with a fresh crop each month.  The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.  Revelation 22:1-2

"See I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay all according to their deeds.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."
Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit of the tree of life.  Revelation 22:12-14

Then, the tree of life.
The tree of life - life eternal - for all who have chosen salvation in Jesus.

That is Heaven!
Heaven is being connected back to God.
Living in the presence of God.
FOREVER!

I don't know what we will look like  - what bodies we will have - but I know we will see differently.
We will see the way God intended.

And perhaps, that is all that will change.
Eyes that only see with Love.

Be Thou my vision, O lord of my heart;
Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Thou my best thought, in the day and the night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, be Thou my true word;
I ever with Thee, and Thou with me Lord;
Thou my Great Father, and I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one. 

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High King of Heaven when the battle is done,
Grant Heaven's joy to me, bright heaven's sun!
Christ of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.