True Worth

Monday, July 6, 2026 l Amber Harper

Proverbs 31

My husband, Bart, and I lived in Dallas for five years. I like to think of that season as a transition in our lives—not exactly where we wanted to be, but where God had us for a time. During those years, I struggled with comparison. Everywhere we went, we saw luxury cars and beautiful homes. I often found myself wondering, How will we ever keep up? We didn't drive those cars or live in those houses, and I felt completely out of my element.

Comparison is a thief. Men and women alike are guilty of measuring themselves against others, and Proverbs 31 can sometimes become another source of comparison, especially for women.

The Proverbs 31 woman is described as excellent, virtuous, and capable. She is trustworthy, hardworking, wise with her resources, generous to those in need, prepared for the future, skillful in her work, and wise with her words. Her family is blessed because of her faithfulness, and her husband has a good reputation because of her character.

The key to understanding the Proverbs 31 woman is found in verse 30: “A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Her value was not found in her accomplishments but in her relationship with God. Because she feared the Lord, everything she did carried eternal significance. She was a faithful steward of the resources God had entrusted to her. She applied God's wisdom to her home, finances, work, relationships, and even her thought life.

The goal of Proverbs 31 is not to give us another person to compare ourselves to. It is to show us what a life surrendered to God looks like. The same truth that opens Proverbs closes it as well: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).

What made this woman extraordinary was not perfection—it was her fear of the Lord. And that is something every believer can pursue.