Proverbs 31 as a professional woman – Part 15

Dear loyal readers, I trust you’re blessed and highly favoured.

In my last article, I introduced you to success principle 6, which says that Proverbs 31 as a professional woman is “nourished and healthy – spirit, soul and body”.

For many years, I understood individual nourishment and health only in physical terms. Now I know that Elohim, who is a Spirit (John 4:24), created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27) as individuals with a spirit that has a soul and that lives inside of a body.

With time, I got to understand that the spirit, soul and body also need individual nourishment and healing for you to thrive as an individual.

This is a loaded topic, and I’ll try to unpack it briefly.

In 3 John 1:2 NIV, Apostle John encourages his friends with a broad understanding that prosperity is more than money; it is in fact deeply tied to prospering in every way and that it starts with your good health and an encouragement that your pursuit of prosperity shouldn’t compromise your soul.

Meaning that you shouldn’t lose or compromise yourself while pursuing success.

You’re probably wondering why the state of your spirit, soul and body matters.

It matters because Elohim created us to be whole persons and to live in alignment with His will for our lives. But I have found that sometimes we are tempted by our flesh to do things on our own, thus taking us outside the will of God and this creates inner conflict within your spirit and soul. This is where stress, anxiety, frustration and fear start to creep in because you don’t feel like you have God’s support for what you’re doing – especially if you started something without asking or including Him first and then later want to drag Him into your self-created mess.

Pick me; I used to be the poster child for leaning on my own understanding.

With time, I learned that the benefit of trusting in the Lord completely (as required by Proverbs 3:5-7) is that “this will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:8)

Trusting in the Lord makes you healthy and nourished? I think many of us need to refill our prescriptions, lol.

The benefit is clear, but still, many struggle in that area of fully trusting in the Lord and surrendering everything to Him because, one, they haven’t taken time to fully study Him and get to know Him, and two, there might be underlying issues that are holding the person back from fully trusting God. Sometimes it’s past hurts, disappointments, fear or even pride.

But He’s able to save, heal, deliver and transform you into someone who fully trusts in the Lord and surrenders everything to Him (Philippians 2:13 NLT). He can take away all anxiety and allow your spirit, soul and body to find rest in Him – only if you trust Him to do it.

That sounds nearly impossible, right?

Considering that many believers feel like God is far from them in their time of trusting in Him to do the impossible, Proverbs 31 as a professional woman is encouraged by Romans 15:13 NIV, which reads: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Meaning that she has learned that the enemy is quick to rob you of peace and joy while you wait on the Lord, so that you will end up feeling anxious, frustrated, fearful, and hopeless while you wait for God. But Romans 15:13 is an encouragement that God Himself is able to fill you up with all joy and peace so that your hope in Him is overflowing. Again, I remind you that the benefit of trusting the Lord fully is that “this will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:8)

Hebrews 11:1-11 is God’s promise of rest for His people, and together with Romans 15:13, has become the anchor for Proverbs 31 as a professional woman to become and remain hopeful while she waits for God joyfully and peacefully to fulfil His promises towards her. This helps her spirit, soul and body to be healthy and nourished.

Is it easy for her?

It’s probably easier said than done, but she has learned to surrender to His will being done on earth as it is in heaven, and this surrender has strengthened her belief that His way is perfect (Psalm 18:30).

How does she overcome her own desires to take over and do things her own way?

She asks that He work in her the desire and the power to do what pleases Him (Philippians 2:13 NLT), and she prays for a clean heart and a right spirit (Psalm 51:10-12). She chooses to meditate on thoughts that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8) and when she struggles with that, she prays for the renewal of her mind (Romans 12:2).

Next week we will look at what additional practices Proverbs 31 as a professional woman undertakes to become “nourished and healthy – spirit, soul and body”.

Shalom.

DISCLAIMER: ‘Proverbs 31 as a Professional Woman’ under the theme ‘Embodying and Manifesting Godly Wisdom, Success Principles and Effortless Femininity in the Workplace’ is not posited on trying to read the professional woman into Proverbs 31 because this will produce an absurd result. However, I have opted to take a principles-based approach that widens the scope to be applicable to any professional woman – regardless of her age or status.

*For more context about who I am and why I’m writing this column titled ‘Spirit, Soul and Body’, I encourage you to Google search my previous articles titled ‘A New Season’, ‘Seeing God’s Glory Through My Tears’ as well as ‘Proverbs 31 as a Professional Woman’ (the introduction as well as parts 1 to 14) – all published by the Namibian Sun newspaper. I welcome your comments, inputs, queries or concerns. Kindly address them to [email protected]