In today’s world trust is a commodity that is in high demand. The majority of people have a very small list of people that they trust. Yet, one of the first things we learn about the Proverbs 31 woman is that she is someone that her husband can trust!
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
Proverbs 31:11, ESV
It would be easy for us to assume that the trust expressed in this verse is related to purity in the marital relationship. However, it isn’t!
The trust exhibited here is a willingness to turn control of business dealings over to his wife.
This might be difficult for many of us! In fact, many people don’t trust their spouse to load the dishwasher correctly!
However, this man trusts his wife because he knows that she won’t just take care of the business, she will GROW the business!
When he returns home he’s not going to find that his business has lost holdings or even held steady….he’s going to find that his business has experienced gain. That is something to be trusted.
Interestingly, in Matthew 25:14-20, Jesus relates a similar emphasis on growth when he shares the Parable of the Talents.
In this famous parable, the master must travel far away. So, he gives his servants each a different amount of talents (a talent was a sum of money).
When the master returns he finds that two of the servants worked hard and doubled the talents given to them. He is thrilled and gives them even more talents in reward for their hard work!
Unfortunately, the third servant states that he was afraid to lose the talent given to him by his master so he hid it away. He still has that one talent but he did nothing with it.
The master is furious because the servant had been lazy. He, too, could have gained talents for his master. But, he didn’t! As a result, the master takes away the one talent he gave him and banishes the servant.
I don’t know about you but I want to be like the Proverbs 31 woman and the two servants who were rewarded! I want to be productive for the Kingdom of God and viewed as trustworthy!
It would be all too easy to hide the message of Jesus away in my heart. Safe and sound and uplifting to myself but, I wouldn’t gain anything for the Lord that way!
In order to add to his kingdom, the family business you might say, I must do the hard work of sharing his message.
I have to be willing to be uncomfortable in order to multiply. My hands will need to get dirty and my body will need to get tired.
But, great is the reward.
So, my friend, as I sign off on this weeks blog I challenge you and I challenge myself.
Let’s tell others about Jesus! Be kind when we REALLY don’t want to be, be salty and full of the light, tell the truth when it hurts. Let’s get out and increase the Lord’s kingdom for great is the reward!
Let’s become the people who are trusted by the Lord!
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