“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” (Prov.31:25)

When I think of a woman who is dignified, I think of one who is stately, and distinguished, holding her head up and having no feeling of shame, fear, anxiety, or hurriedness about her.

The Proverbs 31 woman is clothed with strength and dignity.

What does it mean to be clothed with strength and dignity?

My mind quickly zeros in on the word clothed. To be clothed is to be covered with some kind of clothing.

Clothing, generally speaking, can be defined as a piece of fabric worn on the body. This could also include animal skin.

Another Kind of Clothing

Today, however, we’re reflecting on another kind of clothing that has nothing to do with the kind of clothing she’s wearing outwardly.

In case, though, you’d like to know something about the Proverbs 31 woman’s clothing, I have written at length about her physical clothing in this blog post here.

Because we’re talking about a different kind of clothing, the Proverbs 31 verse above reveals what this clothing is. It is strength and dignity.

Again, I have talked at length about the Proverbs 31 woman’s strength. You can read that blog post here. I delve deeper into how she gets the strength to do all that she does. No wonder the writer equates her strength to clothing.

We hence want to give our full attention to this woman’s dignity.

How does the Proverbs 31 woman clothe herself with dignity? What is dignity anyway?

The Google dictionary defines dignity as the state or quality of being worthy of honor and respect.

Looking at the Proverbs 31 woman, I see a woman who not only knows who she is, but she also knows who she belongs to.

She knows she belongs to God. She doesn’t necessarily need someone to affirm her. Her self-esteem or self-worth is top notch as it were.

Self-esteem Issues

I’m not sure I know of a woman who hasn’t struggled with issues of self-esteem at some point in her life.

Self-esteem issues have multiplied even more because we live in a fallen world.

The devil has capitalized on our feelings of insecurity and low self-worth, causing many women to try to find their fulfillment in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways.

A low self-esteem eats away at our sense of honor and respect as we seek to be women of dignity.

For instance, a young woman will willingly give the precious gift of sex, meant to be expressed within the marriage boundary to a man to prove to him that she loves him.

She may not even realize that she is “buying” acceptance from a man.

If she knew who she was, she wouldn’t need to. She would save this gift for marriage, or else, willingly live without ever expressing her sexuality this way because she’s comfortable with who she is and who she belongs to.

Earthly Fathers

It’s necessary to add here that our earthly fathers, except for the fact that we are in a fallen world, ought to portray the picture of a loving father to us.

It is God’s will that we would experience his love through an earthly father.

We however know that this is mostly not the case. The enemy of our souls is on a mission to mar this picture of fatherhood to us.

Many fathers we know are irresponsible, drunkards, tyrannical, harsh… and the list could go on and on.

When we hear of a loving Heavenly Father, we are unable to relate with him as we ought. At the back of our minds, we imagine he will relate with us as our earthly fathers did.

The Heavenly Father

Thanks be to God that when we come to him in repentance and are reconciled to him, he continues his loving work in us, to restore a loving relationship with each of us his children, a relationship that is personal and real.

I must reiterate here that knowing who you are in Christ, and whose you are, that you belong to God, will be key as you seek to cloth yourself with dignity.

Knowing that you were bought at a price. Knowing that this price is the precious blood of Jesus the pure Lamb of God, then you know you are precious to God and dearly loved by him.

You will know that God’s love surpasses the love of a man or even a husband. You’ll be comfortable in your skin whether someone ever loves you or not.

I have talked about this woman’s worth in Christ in this blog post here.

Knowing too that you belong to God, and your destiny is sealed in him, is also key in giving you that sense of serenity and peace about the future.

You know that he holds the future. Regardless of your surroundings and what’s happening around you, you have the conviction that it shall be well.

Is it no wonder that this woman can laugh at the days to come?

Where Should Your Dignity and Mine Come From?

Your dignity will not come from what you do, the titles you hold, or your success in your career, business, and or what you do for God.

Your dignity will not arise from your status in society, or that you can express yourself well and fight for your rights with boldness.

This kind of dignity is false and will not last.

We must work towards having the dignity that has its source from God.

Now, exactly how does this woman cloth herself with dignity? Let’s explore 3 ways she does this.

1. She Spends Time with God in His Word and in Prayer

This woman receives affirmation after affirmation from her heavenly Father.

This affirmation is not imagined or assumed. She gets it each day because she deliberately walks with God in His Word, receiving his love, wise counsel, help, leading, rebuke, exhortation, and training in doing what is right.

She talks to God in prayer each day, pouring her heart to him, telling him about her struggles and concerns, making her requests known to him, and looking to him to transform her, making her into the woman he wants her to be.

This is what growing in a loving relationship with the heavenly Father is about.

This affirmation is not based on how I feel that day, what I’m thinking, or even how I view myself.

It depends on what his eternal Word that can be trusted says.

As you daily principally seek affirmation from God, over time, your dignity will shine forth like that of the Proverbs 31 woman.

Outside influences will not interfere with the inward joy, peace, and stability that arise from this constant affirmation.

You too will find that you will laugh at the days to come.

2. She Seeks to Deal with Hindrances to Her Progress in Becoming a Woman of Dignity

Many of us women find ourselves faced with contextual realities that work towards causing us to have low self-esteem. They also cause us to keep feeling bad about ourselves.

I have talked about 8 contextual realities in this post here that could be a helpful read especially as you reflect on some of the issues that have affected you from the past.

In alluding to the past, we are not going back to the past, to wallow there and feel sorry for ourselves about what happened to us.

If you are born again, you are a new creation. The old is gone the new has come in Christ.

Because we live in a fallen world though, our past experiences might have left us with marks or wounds that need to be dealt with.

For instance, a relationship with a parent that might have affected how we view ourselves might need us to forgive. We must then look to God to heal and restore our deeply wounded emotions so we can experience God’s love and acceptance to the full.

Related to this could be issues stemming from authority figures such as an earthly father. These need to be dealt with before God.

Another action point that could arise from contextual issues is the need to break an ungodly relationship and make a decisive turnaround to look to God alone for love and affirmation. This includes experiencing God through his people in loving fellowship and communion.

Some of the issues may need one to journey with an older mature woman in the faith who can help us steer the path to healing and restoration. This will also help us view our issues objectively and from a biblical perspective.

3. Keep Company with Like-minded Women

Surround yourself with women whose affirmation, just like you, comes from God.

These are women who can affirm what God is already doing in you. They can help you find strength in God during low moments. They can remind you what God is saying about your situation. You will spur one another onto love and good deeds as the Bible exhorts us.

“Do not be misled: “bad company corrupts good character.” says Paul in 1Cor.15:33

The company you keep can make or break you. You want to trust God to have women around you who will point you in the right direction.

These are women who also understand the kind of dignity we are talking about here. They hence help you have the boldness and courage to do what is right. This is a boldness that comes from the Spirit of God.

Keep in mind that the dignity we’re talking about is one that is expressed in God’s way and not the world’s way. You learn to withstand the pressure to conform to how the world wants you to express your dignity.

The right company, both of peers and a mentor or mentors can help strengthen your resolve to seek to build up your dignity in God’s way.

I have also done this blog here on this woman’s preparedness for the future, a post that would help us as we think about the statement: She can laugh at the days to come. I trust it will be edifying and a blessing too.

You can also purchase our book covering the Proverbs 31 passage comprehensively on Amazon here. I trust the book will be a blessing as well.