Willing Hands

"She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands." Proverbs 31:13 NKJV

"She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing." The Message

"She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands (to develop it)." The Amplified Bible

I don't know about you, but this verse strikes fear in my heart upon first read. You see, I still have an unfinished skirt that I started in Home Ec class in 1989 up in my attic somewhere that taunts me every few years or so. That skirt just serves to remind me that I failed, simply because I cannot get the skirt together right. That blue piece of fabric that would probably fit around one leg now proves that I need to step away from the sewing machine. This Proverbs 31 woman has one skill that I just simply do not have. If I lived in Bible times, my kids would be running around in clothes that were ill-fitting and unhemmed. Upon reading the verse again, however, I saw something even more important - she willingly works with her hands.

As moms and wives, our hands are very important. How we use our hands is even more important. Using them to soothe a fevered brow, pat a back, or give a hug is an expression of God's love to our children and husband. Just as important, however, is our hands in folding clothes, washing dishes, and cleaning the house. Although these are not jobs that I enjoy, I can show God's love through doing them with the proper attitude. Grumbling about the laundry and the never-ending chores is not what God had in mind. Willingly working with my hands with the right attitude can make a big difference in my testimony to my family and in my own attitude about life in general. Cheerfully doing my housework as a ministry to my family is the best way to show them God's love. God's work is never easy, and this is especially true when you are a mom and wife. Choose to willingly work with your hands. God will bless you for it.

Lord, help me remember when the laundry is piling up and the dishes are stacked up to the ceiling, that my attitude in doing my work is just as important as doing the work itself. Give me a cheerful heart in all things today, Lord. Help me to minister to my family as I work in our home. I praise You, my Lord. Amen."