The Proverbs 31 Woman:  The Quintessential Project Manager

Women’s ministries and organizations frequently review the Proverbs 31 woman to improve their walk as women of God.  I began looking at her prior to getting married…to see the image of noble woman and have a model to aspire to.  I have been mystified by all that the Proverbs 31 woman did…all while utilizing the tools and resources of antiquity.  If she could achieve all that she did in one day several millennia ago, what is our excuse today? When I look at the Proverbs 31 woman, I do not just look at her as a wife...but as a project manager. 

I would like for us to imagine what she would look like today…and how much more could be accomplished with the power of technology.  The Bible portrays the Proverbs 31 woman as a dynamic woman who arose early to prepare her household and family for the day (Proverbs 31:15), entered into real estate transactions and invested the returns for additional yield, was profitable in her trading, opened her arms to the poor, and refrained from useless chatter by speaking wisdom and faithful instructions.

As I began to study her, I noticed an interesting verse that showed how freely the Proverbs 31 woman moved throughout her day without anxiety and worry.  She could laugh at the days to come because she planned for them.(Proverbs 31:25)  By planning for the stability of her future, the Proverbs 31 woman did not have to spend her time fretting anxiously about what challenges might befall her.  She worked diligently to keep her house in order.  As a result, all who dwelt with her—her husband, children and servants were blessed.

In today’s hustle and bustle, we often forget to seek God in all that we do.  We are concerned with making our meetings, taking care of the children, attending choir rehearsal, catching a great sale at the mall and socializing with our girlfriends.  With all of the conveniences of the 21^st century, we still seem to not have enough time in the day.  Where does that leave God?  Unfortunately, most of us have been guilty of giving God the leftover portions of the day.  A few minutes when we collapse in the bed at night or a quick prayer in the morning as we’re running out the door.  Today’s Proverbs 31 woman might look a little like the following:

She wakes up with an alarm clock (no chance to oversleep) and starts the day with prayer; starts pot of coffee automatically; puts breakfast on in a state-of-the-art kitchen; takes a shower while food is heating up; plugs in curlers and puts on makeup at the same time; wakes the kids and gets them dressed; feeds them breakfast and syncs up her PDA while checking her personal email; sets aside clothes to donate to the Salvation Army and puts a few dollars in the cookie jar for the missions outreach at the church; takes the kids to school; goes to work; sets menu for the week on her lunch break; outlines the items that will be sold on eBay for extra spending money; cooks dinner; pays bills online; prays and drifts off to sleep.  She then starts the day all over again.

With all of the appliances and electronics of convenience that we have access to today, it is imperative that women looking to go to the next level in their relationship with God, their spouse, their children and their careers take the time to properly manage the time that God has given them.  We all have been blessed with 24 hours in a day.  Have you ever noticed that some people get more done in 4 hours of their day than most people do all day long?  Strong project management skills are key.  As women we may not call ourselves project managers on a daily basis.  But that is one of the attributes God has blessed women with.  In order to have achieved all that she did, the Proverbs 31 woman was no stranger to discipline.  It is the key to managing your tasks effectively.  In Hebrews 12:11 we are taught that “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Like King Hezekiah, the Proverbs 31 woman was adept at multitasking and managing her priorities to complete her work as God would have her to do.  (2 Chronicles 31:2)   Her prosperity was tied to her working wholeheartedly.  Seeking God while setting your daily tasks is the key to establishing a solid project plan for your work day and household.

You too can audit how you manage your time by tracking all that you do for a few days.  You may be surprised what activities take up the most time.  I encourage you to highlight those items that should take priority over some of the extracurricular activities that do not edify you spiritually, create additional streams of revenue, provide experience for a promotion on your job or build up your family as a healthy social unit.  Think of the picture of the Proverbs 31 woman as an image that should be reflected back at you when you look in the mirror.  Your marital or motherhood status is not at issue.  Take the time to look at your level of productivity.  The Proverbs 31 woman has modeled the essence of efficient project management with the end result of mega productivity, blessing and increase.