Sunday, February 22, 2009
Where Did She Go?
(Proverbs 31:1-10)
King Lemuel (regarded by some commentators as a pen name for King Solomon), perhaps in despair of prevailing cultural conditions, looked around the vastness of his realm and questioned, “Who can find a virtuous woman?” It may have been that virtue had given way to vice in the matriarchy of his day. It may have been that old-fashioned standards had been jettisoned for new models of femininity and motherhood. Whatever the reason, Lemuel laments the rarity of genuine virtue among the woman of his day.
His lament is “ripped from the headlines” of contemporary America! Virtue, it seems, has been tossed upon America’s cultural ash heap—along with modesty, decency, and chastity. What’s worse, the professing church is not far behind culture in rewriting the standards for godly ladies.
Just what is virtue? The dictionary answer is as good as any: “The quality of being morally good or righteous.” Perhaps that sounds a little prudish to our licentious culture. “Prudish” or not, it is Bible.
How may virtue be made practical in a woman’s life? Test yourself—your speech, attire, attitude, and motives—by asking yourself “Does ________ reflect moral goodness and righteousness?” And remember, if it’s doubtful, it’s dirty.
