word.

 
She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Proverbs 31:15

This verse stops me in my tracks every time I read it.  It tugs my heart and reminds me so much about my worth on days where there is so much doubt and shame. 

If you have been around my blog for a few years, you might know that one of my favorite passages of the Bible is Proverbs 31.  For those of you newer to this little writing space of mine, it's a small little chapter at the end of Proverbs with wise advice from a mom to her son of what he should look for in a wife.  Many of these attributes seem impossible to attain and so for many, it they easily get tossed aside because it's often the opposite of what society tells us feminism should be or they feel like it's an impossible standard so why even bother.  

Being a mom and a wife is hard.  Heck, being a woman is hard.  We work hard doing all the things to help our homes run smoothly.  There are 24 hours a day and some of that we are sleeping (I hope!).  I don't even have a job and I can't get everything I want to accomplish done in a day.  I can't imagine a working mom's stress level.  Then, on top of that, we throw the added fears of judgement and our self image into the mix and really, we are a mess! Social media doesn't even help us!  In the last week, I have seen stories come across my feed that shame women for fixing lunches for their spouse, for a pile of diapers that need to be tossed, and dust on the furniture!  We feel inadequate, unworthy, tired, dirty, and frazzled.  We always feel like we should be doing more.  So, really quick, let's talk.

My best friend has a sweet job working in the jewelry/fancy handbag industry, so I figured I would ask her what is so great about a ruby.  While I knew some of the things she told me, I was surprised by one of them.  First of all, Rubies are rare.  They are a lot harder to find than any other gem.  Not to mention, you can't find that color red that rubies have in any other gemstone.  They are also incredibly beautiful.  I was always a little jealous of my sister for having a ruby for a birthstone. . . it was so much prettier than my yellow topaz!  They are also almost as strong as a diamond.   So, let's see:  A ruby is a rare, beautiful and strong gemstone that makes them very valuable. 

Now, let's put that into the context of you.

YOU are worth more than rubies.

There is nobody on earth exactly like you.  You have your own physical markings that make you who you are.  You have your own giftings and likes and dislikes and that makes you unique.  It would be a really boring world if everyone looked and did the exact same things as you or me.

YOU are beautiful!

You may not feel like it today.  You may not even have showered in a couple of days and still have spit up on your shirt from yesterday. Your hair may be in a messy bun for the 7th day in a row.  You may feel tired and worn down from just being so busy or  possibly life is just rough right now.  You may be frustrated because your body is not fitting your clothes the way they used to.  But remember, you were created in God's image and you are beautiful!

YOU are strong. 

You may not feel like it right now, but you can do this.  You can do whatever God has put in front of you right now.  Thankfully, when we feel weak, God does amazing things through us. There are so many verses that God gives us to remind us that our strength comes from Him.

Exodus 15:2  The Lord is my strength and my song. . . 

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened. . . for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

2 Samuel 22:33 God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect. 

Doesn't that make you feel strong?

So today, as you go about your daily business, fight those feelings of shame and inadequacy with God's Word.  Hide it in your heart and be encouraged.  Insert your name in the verse and make it your mantra today: is more precious than rubies. Send a note or text message to a friend and encourage them. . . they may need to hear some encouraging words today.