The Qualities of a Thrifty Woman
What is a Thrifty Woman? The Oxford Dictionary defines thrift as-
the quality of using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully.
Our resources include money, our time and energy, knowledge and skills we possess. Knowing what resources are available to you is essential, and I believe we should continually be seeking to increase our knowledge and skill set. There is always something new to learn, a new way of doing things to try. Everyone on earth has the same 24 hours per day. What we can accomplish depends greatly on how we manage that resource. Even if you are tied to a job 8 hours a day, you can read books in your spare time. You could listen to a podcast during your commute or when you fold laundry. There are so many pockets of time during our day we fill by scrolling social media or listening to toxic news, that we could instead fill with learning new skills or information. Take a look at your time and how you spend it, and see if you might find more free time than you thought you had.
Every woman will have different energy capacities depending on their circumstances and season of life. Learning your energy levels will help ease some of the frustration with yourself. Did you know that your energy levels are directly tied to your hormonal cycle? That’s a post in itself. A large part of energy management is taking time to rest. Rest is not laziness. Our bodies need rest. If you push and push and push your body will get to the point where it makes you rest, either through burnout or illness. The Lord Himself rested on the seventh day and commanded us to keep the Sabbath rest ourselves. That is the commandment most Christians break and don’t even think about. God commands us to rest one day out of seven. Our energy is a resource we need to manage to get through life.
Every woman will also have different financial resources. But whether we have an abundance or very little, we should manage it carefully. A super important aspect of managing your finances is contentment. If you are constantly chasing the next new thing or changing your look every season based on the trends, you are going to be broke. And the fastest way to a massive credit card bill and a house full of stuff is shopping therapy. I’m guilty of this myself. I love to shop secondhand stores; you can find vintage treasures and good quality clothing for a fraction of what they would cost new. But I have to be careful not to buy things just because it’s a good deal. If I don’t really need it, it’s still a waste of money even if it’s 50% off. We must carefully manage ourselves, and through that we can successfully manage our finances.
As believers, we look to the Scriptures for guidance and wisdom in how we live our lives. A great Biblical example of a woman who manages resources carefully is found in Proverbs 31. I know, you’re all shocked. 😜
(I am using the Complete Jewish Bible translation; and the verses are not in order, I’ve grouped them together under different headings.)
10Who can find a capable wife? Her value is far beyond that of pearls.
Most of us know this verse by heart. Our favorite translations might read “a worthy woman”, “a wife of noble character”, “an excellent wife”, “a virtuous woman” or “woman of valor”. I liked the translation used in the Complete Jewish Bible. Who can find a capable wife? This speaks to me because the other translations seem to speak to her character, and while that is very important, her actions listed in scripture seem to be about her capabilities. Virtuous is not the same as capable.
vir·tu·ous
having or showing high moral standards.
ca·pa·ble
having the ability, fitness, or quality necessary to do or achieve a specified thing.
able to achieve efficiently whatever one has to do; competent.
As Godly women, our virtue (moral character shaped by scripture) should be intertwined with our capabilities (skills) to serve our families and communities. So lets look at her capabilities written in scripture:
She manages Herself
ב 11Her husband trusts her from his heart, and she will prove a great asset to him.
ג 12She works to bring him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
25עClothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come.
פ 26When she opens her mouth, she speaks wisely; on her tongue is loving instruction.
What do you see when you read these verses? I see a woman who has proven herself trustworthy. Her husband trusts her because she is capable and she works hard to better the household. She doesn’t speak bitterly, complain, gossip or criticize needlessly. When she speaks, people listen because she speaks wisdom with kindness, and she teaches in a loving way. This requires self control and respect for other people. I’m sure she would’ve had days that she bit her tongue so hard it bled and maybe she did go hide in the closet and scream into a pillow once in a while. But it says that when she spoke, she did so with kindness and wisdom. Ladies, this isn’t something we can do in our own strength. We can only do this by coming to the Lord and letting Him fill us up with His spirit and grace. Only then can we pour out grace to those around us.
She has Business Sense
ה 14She is like those merchant vessels, bringing her food from far away.
16זShe considers a field, then buys it, and from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
18ט She sees that her business affairs go well; her lamp stays lit at night.
24סShe makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchants with sashes.
This lady is smart with money! This ties in with being trustworthy- her husband can trust her not to fritter away money on frivolities. She purchases food from the market place, and while not stated, we can assume that she would seek the best quality for the best deal. Her business revolves around clothing to sell to the merchants; and she stays up after dark to tend to her affairs. She purchases land and uses her earnings to improve it. Whether your translation reads vineyard or garden, we can see she is making careful financial decisions to benefit her household.
She is Industrious
13דShe procures a supply of wool and flax and works with willing hands.
15ו It’s still dark when she rises to give food to her household and orders to the young women serving her.
ח 17She gathers her strength around her and throws herself into her work.
י 19She puts her hands to the staff with the flax; her fingers hold the spinning rod.
21ל When it snows, she has no fear for her household; since all of them are doubly clothed.
מ 22She makes her own quilts; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
27צShe watches how things go in her house, not eating the bread of idleness.
We can tell from these verses, this is a hard working woman. But it’s more than working hard. We can see that she does the work cheerfully. She throws herself into her work with willing hands. No complaints about the amount of dishes her family uses or the never ending laundry pile. She recognized that those things are by products of the many blessings in her life; family and food to eat. I imagine that she would spend the time on each task pouring out thanks to the Lord for the blessings that result in having such work to do.
But we can also see that she delegates work as well. In verse 15 she rises before the sun to feed her household and to give orders to the young women serving her. Most of us don’t have servants, but we can train up and delegate responsibilities to our children. You know this woman’s kids weren’t sitting around idle while their mom did all the work. She would’ve had them up helping. She would’ve made sure that her daughters were learning how to care for their own households and her sons were learning their trade or studying with the rabbi.
I see a woman who is practical and matter of fact, but that also appreciates beauty. The scripture mentions several times that she is clothed in fine linen, she makes fine linen clothing and sashes for the merchants, she makes covers for the beds and her household is clothed in scarlet (depending on your translation). This brings to mind the quote from William Morris: Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. The best houses are filled with items that are both beautiful and practical.
Because of the hard work she does, she isn’t worried about the upcoming winter because she has prepared for it. Her family is clothed well. They have warm blankets. There is food stored away. Because she has not eaten the bread of idleness her family will have bread to eat through the winter. She has wisely prepared.
She is Generous
כ 20She reaches out to embrace the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
This is incredibly important. In an article about being thrifty you might not expect a call for generosity, but if we keep our hands closed and our blessings to ourselves then we become stingy. Other words you could use would be miserly, selfish, greedy, tightfisted, parsimonious, tight, ungenerous, or cheap. None of those are what we should be as followers of Jesus.
Now, many of us might be very tight on funds, but the more important thing here I believe is your spirit. If you are stingy in your spirit, you begin to look at others as “less than” or undeserving. The most famous example would have to be Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens “The Christmas Carol”. He refused to see the suffering of those around him until a supernatural experience opened his eyes.
Ladies, if you are a believer, you have your own supernatural experience. The God of the universe gave even His own son to relieve the suffering of our sins. How then can we refuse to see the suffering around us? How can we, that recognize our own wretched state and acknowledge that we need a Savior, look at another with superiority?
Embrace the poor. Open your arms, and your hearts, to the needy. We may not always be able to give money, but we may be able to give of our time, efforts or prayers.
and finally –
She is Praised
23נ Her husband is known at the city gates when he sits with the leaders of the land.
ק 28Her children arise; they make her happy; her husband too, as he praises her:
ר 29“Many women have done wonderful things, but you surpass them all!”
ש 30Charm can lie, beauty can vanish, but a woman who fears Adonai should be praised.
ת 31Give her a share in what she produces; let her works speak her praises at the city gates.
Her husband has a good reputation partly because of her good reputation. Her family stand and bless her, and her husband speaks wisdom; charm is deceptive, and beauty won’t last. These things, while pleasant, aren’t what is truly important, because they fade away. A woman who walks in the fear of the Lord has made the better choice and should be praised. Her reward will be eternal.
I know many women would give anything to be acknowledged, to be seen, to hear a single thank you from their family. I want to encourage you that even if you never get a thank you or acknowledgment from your husband or kids, if you are doing your work heartily as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23), He sees you. He sees your sadness, your pain, your weariness and loneliness. He is pleased with you and you will have an eternal reward. Keep serving Him by serving them and delight in the Lord our Savior, the God who Sees.
**I would just like to add a note to say that the Proverbs 31 woman is a paragon of womanhood given by a mother to her son. Most teachings I have read believe that she was not a real woman; she is an example to follow, a goal to strive towards. From my own experience, I know it can be easy to read this chapter and see all the places in your life where you don’t measure up. I am sharing this in the spirit of growth and love, not to tear you down. I pray you will read it as such. **
Until next time,
Ariel
