How To Invest Like the Proverbs 31 Business Woman

Part IV

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies…. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

Proverbs 31:10,16

I have heard many sermons preached about the Proverbs 31 Wife, or Wife of Noble Character over the years. There are numerous blogs and even entire ministries built around this particular passage of scripture. These messages generally focus on the woman’s character and duties as a wife and mother; I don’t want to diminish that focus in any way. It is both valid and important.

However, there is a major aspect of the Proverbs 31 Woman that is widely glossed over, and even totally ignored. This relates to her business acumen and the way she manages her finances. Here are the facts. Of the twenty-two verses in the passage, seven are comments for the reader’s benefit or general praise from her husband and children (E.g. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her – vs28). While these are interesting, they don’t actively describe her character. The remaining fifteen verses focus explicitly on her character and actions.

Of the fifteen verses that actively describe her character and actions, only two actually focus on how she acts toward her husband. Another three focus on how she cares for her children and household….

And no less than six verses focus on how she conducts her financial life. How can we, in good conscience, read this passage about the ‘Ideal Godly Woman’ and simply disregard 40% of what the Bible tells us about her!

What The Bible Says About Investment

She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

Proverbs 31:16

I found very little commentary from the theological experts on this particular verse. I guess this should not come as a surprise, since it has very little theology to offer. Our church pastors and teachers are concerned with our salvation, our eternal well-being and our relationship with God; just as they should be. Consequently, most have little interest in what the Bible says about investment and can be forgiven for blowing past this verse as they focus on weightier spiritual themes.

But this verse is still in the Bible. God put it there! More than that, he included it as one of the fifteen character traits that show us why the Woman of Noble Character is the ‘Ideal Godly Woman’.

If you ever wondered what the Bible says about investment, here it is. So what does this verse tell us? Investing may not have any direct eternal value in terms of salvation or righteousness but neither is it obviously sinful. In fact, according to the context of this passage, we should consider it commendable.

This is what the Bible says about investment. The Woman of Noble Character invests in assets that produce additional income. She already has a means of income, from the manufacture of garments, as the passage tells us elsewhere. However, this verse tells us she considers a field and buys it. Instead of spending her hard-earned income on fleeting fancies that drain her funds but have no lasting value, she invests in a field — an asset.

Why is owning assets so important to her? After all, the passage already shows that she owns a thriving business and it is clear that she is a wealthy woman. What does she need the extra income for? The difference between her garment business and the vineyard is subtle. But it is also vital. While her business is very profitable, according to Proverbs 31, it is also labor-intensive. The day she stops buying wool, and spinning it; the day she stops making garments, her income will dry up completely.

Far less so with the vineyard. Yes, the process of acquiring the field, buying the vines and planting the vineyard was, perhaps, a labor-intensive one. However, once done, the vines will continue to grow and produce a crop year on year, without any further intervention on her part. Sure, they might require some pruning and weeds will need to be dug up from time to time. And, of course, she will need to harvest the grapes. This maintenance work, however is not nearly as intensive as the daily grind of her garment business. In fact, having planted the vineyard, she appears to go straight back to the garment business while the vines mature and grow with little or no input from her.

In fact, even long after she no longer has the strength to weave wool and make garments, her vines will continue to produce a harvest year on year. This is the difference between an asset and a job. A job can take care of immediate needs, but only assets can take care of the future.

This is one time where the advice from the secular self-help and financial advice gurus actually lines up with the wisdom in God’s word. They all tell us to stop spending our money on liabilities that take money out of our pockets and rather to invest in assets that will put money into our pockets. In this verse, the Bible commends the Proverbs 31 Business Woman for doing the same.

Note, she does not make this decision lightly. She considers the field carefully. She takes the time to appraise its true value. And when she is satisfied that it is worth the agreed price, she buys it. The second part of the verse is equally important. She chose an asset to which she was able to add value. Once again, she reaches to her existing income. Instead of squandering everything she earns on lavish food, clothes and entertainment, she buys vines and plants a vineyard. This increases the asset’s value and ensures that it will not lie fallow for years. Rather, it will produce a harvest.

That is the verse in a nutshell. There really is not much more to say about it.

Of course, there are many sincere believers, men and women, both in Bible times and today who have never considered investing their hard-earned wages in assets to produce additional income. There are likely others who have considered this but never had the courage to take the plunge and buy the asset in question. Then there are probably a few who went as far as purchasing their asset but did not bother to tend to it or add any value. Instead, they let the asset lie fallow, as it were, and they never reaped the reward of their investment.

The Proverbs 31 Business Woman understood the value of investing and the Bible commends this facet of her character. We can all learn from this woman’s example.