Proverbs 31

"How hard it is to find a capable wife!
She is worth far more than jewels!
Her husband puts his confidence in her, and he will never be poor.
As long as she lives, she does him good and never harm.
She keeps herself busy making wool and linen cloth.
She brings home food from out-of-the-way places, as merchant ships do.
She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and to tel her servant women what to do.
She looks at land and buys it, and with money she has earned she plants a vineyard. She is a hard worker, strong and industrious.
She knows the value of everything she makes, and works late into the night.
She spins her own thread and weaves her own cloth. She is generous to the poor and needy.
She doesn't worry when it snows because her family has warm clothing.
She makes bedspreads and wears clothes of fine purple linen.
Her husband is well known, one of the leading citizens.
She makes clothes and belts, and sells them to merchants.
She is strong and respected and not afraid on the future. She speaks with gentle wisdom.
She is always busy and looks after her family's needs. Her children show their appreciation, and her husband praises her.
He says "Many women are good wives, but you are the best of them all."
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but for a woman who fears the Lord should be praised.
Give her credit for all she does. She deserves the respect of everyone."
Proverbs 31:10-31

Proverbs 31 describes what God sees as a perfect woman.
She is generous, takes care of her family, respected, caring and fears the Lord her God.
As a Christian woman, I find this passage a standard in which to live up to as a woman of God. However, obviously I am not perfect. Obviously I sin and fall short and mess up, so the reality of being this woman in this passage is impossible on my own.
Knowing that I fall short, sin and don't meet this expectation on my own strength, I don't consider myself a Proverbs 31 woman.
However, while here in Chicago with this awesome community of believers and godly men, my eyes have been opened to something.
Yes, I can't be this woman on my own, it is impossible, but with God nothing is impossible.
With God I am this woman and so is every woman who follows the Lord.
You see, the men on project call us women P31's, meaning Proverbs 31, meaning this woman. When I first heard that I almost cried. These men see me as this perfect godly woman. Wow. What a compliment.
But the reality is, I can never be this woman, ever. It is Christ in me who makes me this woman. The important part of this woman is that she is godly, she isn't doing all these things by her own effort, she is seen as a godly woman because she follows God and fears Him. God working in her makes her this perfect woman.
How freeing!
To be a perfect woman, perfect wife, perfect mother, I don't have to rely on my own strength and my own effort, I have to rely on God and God alone.

On a similar note, it has been eye-opening to be treated like this woman by the men on this project. To be loved as a sister in Christ and to be treated as such. These men respect us as Proverbs 31 women and it shows.
It has been a life-changing experience!