Proverbs - A Gracious Woman

Proverbs 11:16

 A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches.

                        A gracious woman.  What does that mean?  The word gracious can conjure up all sorts of images.  One could think of a 1950's homemaker dressed in her pumps and starched dress entertaining her husband’s business associates.  This is not what this word gracious means.  A woman who is gracious is full of grace. This woman who will retain her honor will be one who understands and walks in grace.  Do you understand grace?  Are you growing in the knowledge of his grace?

                        The opposite of grace is ‘earned favor’ - showing kindness and demonstrating affection based upon someone’s performance.  If we are to be women of grace we treat people based upon unconditional love and not what they do or not do to us or those around us.  In Galatians we read, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Gal 5::4) If we try to justify our relationships with the law, especially ‘our’ law we will cease from being gracious women.  We need to deal with people with grace.

                        So many times we remind our children to honor us as their mothers.  This verse tells us that our children will see us as women who deserve their honor as we deal with them with grace.  This doesn’t mean we don’t give them consequences and train them in the way they should go, rather it means that we are rooting for them when we discipline them desiring their success.  Grace extends opportunities for improvement, repentance and victory.  Grace causes us not to punish our children because of how their actions affect us, but rather to deal with them in a way that is believing all things, hoping all things and enduring all things. 

                        We will be held in honor by our children and those around if we know how to speak the truth in love.  When we can give grace and truth, as Jesus came to give, we will be able to help others grow up into all things and not be afraid of our judgments or dismayed by our lack of concern.  If you find yourself lacking grace, remember that grace and truth came by Christ.  If Christ is in you, you have the resources to have these ‘twins’ flow out of you thus bringing about the honor the Lord desires for you to retain.