Proverbs 31:23 and 26

Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

Have you ever been complimented by someone for an impact you had on their lives and been surprised? It could have been a small gesture of kindness or the way you handled yourself in public. Someone saw something in you they wanted to emulate.

The reputation of this husband and wife was not something they did on their own but a result of their mutual love and respect. There was a direct correlation between the quality of their marital relationship and their integrity in the marketplace. This impact was not the result of the Proverbs 31 woman or her renowned husband who waxed eloquent in the courts. Something was going on at home that colored everything else in their lives. They had a reputation as a married couple that people knew was a mysterious but beautiful foundation for their individual voices.

In our individualistic and selfish society we put a high premium on the person who stands alone, who seems to handle life independent of anyone. That appear noble, but it’s not biblical. In a marital context it’s even more dangerous. Look again at the impact a godly marriage has on these two individuals. “Her husband is known in the gates…She opens her mouth with wisdom…” The way this wife loved, supported, and spoke into her husband’s life seemed to give him greater confidence to speak into his world with impact. Likewise, she had a reputation for wisdom and kindness in life that many very likely envied.

Our wives (and sisters in Christ) can be powerful tools in our lives as husbands and fellow believers. How those relationships go in good measure can determine our lasting effectiveness in the broken world.

Sadly, today many of our “Christian marriages” are shells of what the Lord intended.  Our reputation has sadly preceded us in the world. But that‘s for another blog post!