Honor Her For All That Her Hands Have Done
Every Member Has A Part To Play
PROVERBS 31:31
“Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.”
Proverbs 31:31 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/pro.31.31.nkjv
The book of Proverbs gives us excellent advice on how to live godly lives.
It starts with the command to fear the Lord (v7), and finishes with the image of a woman who puts into practice God’s word and fulfilled His commands.
We see these qualities throughout the book: Hard working, respectful to one’s spouse, foresight, care for others, and has wisdom when it comes to managing money and resources.
When coupled with the fear of the Lord, it brings about, peace, success, contentment, joy, honour and worth.
The book of Proverbs is practical, it teaches us to become wise and make good decisions; it teaches Jesus way to live godly lives.
The woman here is not only a representation of women in general, but a representation of the church, the bride of Christ.
These verses not only give direction on how to live and manage our individual lives, but also how to live out and manage the church in general.
Church is not supposed to be run by a small group of leaders, a Pastor, Vicar and a few elders; it is supposed to operate through the whole body by the leading and power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the only head, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
My beloved, every Spirit filled member has a part to play and is gifted accordingly, and therefore must actively take part by God’s leading in church meetings, projects, and in the streets and communities.
Attendance to meetings is not simply about what we can receive, but is the coming together of the body in intimacy with Christ and service to God.
We all have a part to play, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?”
I Corinthians 12:12-19 NKJV
My beloved, it’s no longer man’s church, for the old is gone and the Church of Jesus Christ is here.
Each member, chosen and placed within the body by God with a specific position and purpose, and is no more or less important than all the other members.
“But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
I Corinthians 12:20-26 NKJV
My beloved, we God’s people are called to serve by a new and living way in Christ. When one member is rebellious or dysfunctional, it shall affect the whole body, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
James 2:26 NKJV
“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:19-25 NKJV
My beloved, if it’s not Jesus five fold ministry is shall profit you nothing. For “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Ephesians 4:4-6 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
