The Proverbs 31 Man

Much is written about the Proverbs 31 woman. There are Proverbs 31 ministries and books. Even decorative bags. The bar to be a "Proverbs 31 Woman" is set pretty high.

I'm glad there's not a Proverbs 32 for men. I'd never make the cut. But there are some principles for men and husbands outlined in Proverbs 31 that we men would do well to follow:

A Proverbs 31 Man is:
1. A Man of Noble Character (v. 10)
The Proverbs 31 man lives a life of noble character. Think about it, a Proverbs 31 woman ("virtuous wife") deserves a husband of noble character, a man of virtue.

Tonya and I recently attended a wedding and when the minister had the young couple turn to the audience to introduce them as husband and wife, my first thought was "That couple has done it the right way". Why? Because each of them, both husband and wife, are people of noble character, of virtue.

Several years from now, our sons will likely marry. Our prayer is that they will each marry a woman of noble character. But we are also praying that our sons will be men of noble character, men of virtue.

2. A Man Who Trusts His Wife (v. 11)
The Proverbs 31 man trusts his wife and lives a life his wife can trust.
Trust builds goodwill; goodwill leads to closeness.
Where there is trust, there is peace.

3. A Man Who Leads (v. 23)
The Proverbs 31 man is "respected" at the city gate. That means he was looked to as a leader in the community. Even more than being a leader in the public forum, a man must lead his wife and children at home. It's the biblical model of servant-leadership (Ephesians 5:25) for the family.

4. A Man of Wisdom (v. 23)
The Proverbs 31 man in v. 23 took "his seat among the elders". He was a man of wisdom. A man who was looked to for counsel. He was a sounding board for those seeking input and advice.

We often think that one must be older to be an elder. That's not necessarily always the case. A young man whose seeks Godly wisdom can develop a reputation for consistent, well-thought out decision making. Being considered an elder is an earned position, not simply based on one's age.

5. A Man of Blessing (v. 28)
The Proverbs 31 man recognizes the contributions of his wife and appreciates her for who she is and all that she does.

6. A Man of Encouragement (v. 28, 29)
The Proverbs 31 man tells his wife "You're the best", not for anything she's done for him or for anything he wants from her. He encourages her, "praises her", because of who she is.