The Proverbs 31 Man:

You have heard of the Proverbs 31 woman but have you ever heard of the Proverbs 31 man? Let me describe him to you.

A husband of noble character: who can find one? He is worth more than winning the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes or the lottery.

His wife has full confidence in him and she lacks nothing of importance.

He brings her good, not harm, all the days of her life.

He works hard to provide for his family. Getting up early he helps get the children ready for school, then dashes off to work.

With his shoulder to the grindstone he works with energy and vigor, as one who is working for you.”

He promptly comes home from work and immediately pitches in with the chores, helping the children with their homework, or with making dinner if he can cook! While hot dogs and baked beans are his specialty, he doesn’t fear the microwave, remembering nothing metal should be in there. He does this with such ease that all are amazed and in awe.

When his wife prepares a meal he always eats with gusto, and when finished, he never forgets to smile and tell her how great the meal was. Of course, he is always the first to volunteer to do the dishes or at least to volunteer the children to complete the task!

All in all, he is a joy to have in the kitchen.

As a father, there is no equal on the face of the earth. No matter how exhausted from work or chores, he always takes time for his children.

Whether it’s making funny faces at the baby, tickling the small child, wrestling with the kids, watching football with his sons, or making pained and disbelieving expressions at his teenagers, he is always there for them.

He is a whiz at math, science, spelling, geography, Spanish, and any other subject his children are studying at school.

And if he should be totally ignorant of the subject at hand, he skillfully hides his ignorance by sending the child to their mother.

He can fix any problem, from a scraped knee to loose bicycle chains, from interpreting rules for a kickball game to refereeing sparring matches between his kids.

More importantly, he is also the spiritual leader in the family. He loves Jesus, and he always takes the family to church. He shows his children, by his example, what it means to be a man of to pray for God.

He teaches his children how to pray and the importance of knowing and loving the Lord Jesus. He often rises early to pray for his wife and children, and he reads from his Bible at night before sleeping.

He disciplines his children with loving firmness, never by yelling or with humiliating words. He is always more interested in teaching a lesson than in simply punishing

During the day he meditates on God’s Word and on how to live it. He shows Christ in all his dealing with others and is considered a valuable employee to his bosses. His co-workers respect his hard work, his integrity, and his kindness.

He always shows his wife the utmost respect, even opening the door for her. He is always quick with a word of encouragement, and is constantly telling her how beautiful she is, even when she isn’t wearing any make-up.

A day seldom passes that he doesn’t tell her of his love for her. Praise for her is always on his lips.

Anniversaries and birthdays are never forgotten and gifts and flowers are often given, “just because.”

He even makes superhuman efforts to be nice when her family is visiting.

He is full of compassion for the pain of others and willingly helps those in need. Whether it’s changing a stranger’s flat tire, helping with a friend’s home improvement project, or feeing the poor at the local soup kitchen, he is the first to volunteer.

He is not afraid to shed a tear with a friend in pain or to be rowdy in laughter at another’s joke.

He loves life and lives it with passion.

His children, while not always calling him “blessed,” have no doubts about his great love for them. His wife also calls him many things, among them, “the best man there is,” and she thanks God for him.

Many men do great things but he surpasses them all.

There is no man better than this man, except Jesus.

Flattery is deceptive and good looks, like hair, is fleeting, but a man who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give him the reward he has earned, and let his deeds bring him praise. His Lord is pleased, his wife loves him, and his children are proud of him. He is a blessed man indeed.*

*Dr. Danny Akin, Commentary on Songs of Solomon. Pages 159-161.