The Growth of a Woman’s Strength

When life presses in whether through overwhelming schedules, heartbreak, exhaustion, or loss many of us long for one thing: change. We pray for a break, a new season, a little less on our plates. And while those desires aren’t wrong, they may not be what we need most.

Sometimes, we don’t need easier circumstances. Sometimes, we need stronger hearts.

God doesn’t merely lift us out of hard seasons; He forms us through them. He isn’t just watching us wrestle with limits. He’s forging new strength within us through them.

Strength Is a Forgotten Virtue

In a world that celebrates self-care over sacrifice, boundaries over boldness, and escape over endurance, the biblical virtue of strength is often overlooked especially for women. Many of us feel more in touch with our limits than our capacity. We’re well aware of what we can’t handle, but less certain about what God might equip us to do.

The Bible never asks us to pretend to be strong. Instead, it offers something better: real strength through God’s power.

“He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
—Isaiah 40:29

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.”
—Colossians 1:11

“Whoever serves, let him serve by the strength that God supplies.”
—1 Peter 4:11

Jesus meets our weakness not with rebuke but with grace. “My power is made perfect in weakness,” He says. So Paul responds, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

The Woman Who Dressed Herself in Strength

Nowhere is this spiritual strength more beautifully illustrated than in Proverbs 31. This woman so often misread as an unattainable supermom is actually a living portrait of grace-empowered capability.

“She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.”
—Proverbs 31:17

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”
—Proverbs 31:25

The word translated “excellent” in Proverbs 31:10 (also rendered “noble” or “virtuous”) is the Hebrew word chayil a term often used to describe warriors, soldiers, or men of valor. It’s the same word used for military might (Joshua 8:3), capable men (1 Samuel 14:52), and virtuous women (Ruth 3:11). The point? This strength isn’t passive. It’s active, durable, and God-honoring.

This woman is not a distant ideal. She’s a real example. Proverbs 31:29 reminds us, “Many women have done excellently.” Strength is not just for the rare few it’s available to every woman who fears the Lord.

What Does Her Strength Look Like?

Let’s look at the qualities God honors in her life qualities He can grow in ours.

• She has capacity: Her arms are strong. She manages her household. She provides for others. Her life is marked by industry, care, and joy.

• She has endurance: She rises early, stays up late, and does good over the long haul. Her strength isn’t a single act it’s sustained, faithful effort.

• She is reliable: Her husband trusts her. The poor and needy depend on her generosity. Her strength blesses others consistently.

• She has emotional courage: She laughs at the days to come. Her strength makes her fearless, not because life is easy, but because her heart is anchored in God.

• She has spiritual depth: “A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30). Her strength begins and ends with worship. It’s not self-made; it’s God-given.

Why We Resist Her Example

Let’s be honest. Sometimes this woman intimidates us more than inspires us. Her list of accomplishments can feel overwhelming, even impossible. But we misunderstand her when we treat Proverbs 31 like a daily checklist.

This passage offers a wide-angle view of a woman’s life, not a snapshot of her day.

You don’t have to do everything at once. You don’t have to match someone else’s pace. You only have to remember that strength is something that grows.

Real Strength Takes Time

The growth of strength is gradual sometimes inch by inch. As John Calvin wrote, “No one advances so hopelessly as not to make at least a bit of progress daily.”

Every time you rise to meet a new demand, speak life into someone else, fight the temptation to quit, or serve quietly without recognition, you’re growing. You’re dressing yourself with strength. And God sees every step.

The apostle Paul calls us to be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10). That means our strength is not measured by our natural temperament or energy levels, but by our reliance on God.

Psalm 105:4 urges us, “Seek the Lord and his strength.” When we seek Him, He strengthens us not just for tasks, but for joy, peace, patience, and perseverance.

Don’t Long for Easier Long for Stronger

In seasons of weariness, our instinct may be to pray for relief. And sometimes, that’s what God gives. But often, He answers by strengthening us instead.

God doesn’t always remove the burden. Sometimes, He gives us stronger shoulders.

So let’s stop longing for a lighter load and start asking for stronger hearts. Let’s become women who rise early, love deeply, give generously, and laugh fearlessly because our strength is rooted in a sovereign, faithful God.

He is not asking you to be perfect. He’s asking you to be willing to let His strength meet your weakness, and shape you into someone strong.

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