Dressed with Strength
Physical and Emotional Strength for Homemakers, from giving birth to gardening!
I have been continuing my reading of Proverbs 31 which is the basis of my current series of articles on homemaking for beginners. This wife “dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong” (Proverbs 31:17). I have been thinking about strength at a time when I have felt extremely weak. Packing up our home and house hunting as we are forced to leave, whilst home educating my five children, dealing with illness, and supporting my husband since losing his job, has left me without any feeling of strength. How can I “dress myself with strength” right now?
As I was kneading bread dough the other day I was thinking about what a difference it makes when I knead my bread well (compared to when I rush it and hope for the best!). When I push the weight of my body into my arm as I use the heel of my hand to slide the dough forwards and turn it, the strength from my body works the dough and turns out great bread. My strength goes into the bread and it bears fruit for my family. The same is true for carrying a sad toddler, washing your children’s hair at bath time, and weeding your vegetable garden. The strength of your body converts into loving action for your home.
A homemaker needs physical and emotional strength. She learns as soon as she attempts to clean a home or give birth to a baby that her body and her mind and her heart need to work hard and work together. This is an extremely demanding life. Whatever the culture may tell you about stay at home mothers sitting around all day, this is not easy work.
If I dress myself with strength this means that I put on something every day that is outside of myself. It is like a pretty outfit, but also like a suit of armour. This is a strength outside of myself that I could never create myself, which enables me to deal with the challenging times as a homemaker. The Bible makes it very clear where the source of strength is, “The Lord is my Strength” (Psalm 28:7), “My mighty rock, my refuge is God” (Psalm 62:7).
This real, tangible strength from God converts into actual power to do things. To push again during a long childbirth, to knead your bread, and to rest and trust God in times of upheaval (this requires strength too!).
Dear Friends, let us put on strength from the Lord this week, whatever challenges we face at home, and He will enable us to do the work before us.
Love and blessings,
Molly