Entrepreneurial Wisdom from the Proverbs 31 Woman

Feb 23, 2024

Today we are going to learn how building a business is a lot like gardening. Just like gardening, there are a lot of upfront preparations with little harvest until much later. Business problems like weeds start to pop up. . . sometimes to the point where you want to give up altogether.

However, if you nurture and tend to your business, and don’t give up, just like a garden, you will harvest a crop. Then next year, you are wiser and more experienced and your garden improves and you yield a larger crop and learn new skills to preserve the harvest.

As we learned in episode 6, we need to choose one work-from-home endeavor and stick to it for 90 days. Sticking with the gardening analogy, this would be like buying a few tomato plants the first year of gardening and then adding a few other crops once those are established.

Today we are going to learn from the Proverbs 31 woman about building multiple streams of income. Join me as we learn about moving from trading your time for money to Building a business that grows as you sleep, which in many ways is a lot like gardening.

We have all seen ads for the promise of making money while you sleep. The ads promise little to no work and a huge price tag to learn how to do it. I think it is human nature to want these promises to be true, but deep down, we know that making money takes a lot of work. . . just like the garden.

You cannot just throw some expensive seeds in the ground and expect to harvest plants next week. Instead building a business takes time and effort, sweat and tears, wins and losses, perseverance, and consistency.

The Christian Work-from-Home Mom Roadmap

Step 1 is to Find your Uniqueness: Skills, Strengths, Passions, and Personality which were discussed in the following podcast episodes

Episode 1- 7 Mom Skills You Already Have for Work from Home Success

Episode 2 - Unlock Your Work From Home Earning Potential

Episode 3 - The Tools to Turn Your Passions into Work from Home

Episode 4 - What is Your Work From Home Personality?

Episode 5 - How Will You Know When You Are On the Right Path?

Step 2 is to Focus on the Straight and Narrow path which was episode 6

Step 3 is to Foster Financial Freedom which is this article.

Step 4 is to Focus on Faith and Family which is episode 8

Fostering Financial Freedom includes building multiple streams of income and recurring income. Today I am going to introduce you to multiple streams of income.

This article is a conceptual view of building different income sources to build wealth in the future. We all have to start at zero or follow the garden analogy, an unworked, weedy plot of land to start a garden. Now you may be further along than that, but let’s start with a Biblical example of someone who built multiple streams of income.

Multiple Streams of Income

Earning money from various sources simultaneously.
It is important to diversify this income for financial stability. Earning money from various sources simultaneously, reducing reliance on a single income stream.
The Proverbs 31 woman is an example of a wise and industrious woman who diversified her income.

Let me pause here for a moment. What thoughts come to mind when you think of the Proverbs 31 woman? In the past, for me, I would often cringe with a sense of guilt. Here is a perfect example of a woman who to me seemed like an unattainable standard. I would often hear Mother’s Day sermons about the Proverbs 31 woman and slink down in my seat thinking about all the ways I fail to meet this standard. I even cried tears over my failure to obtain just one attribute of this woman.

Finally, I took my despair to the Lord in prayer. I asked Him to help me. I confessed my continuous failure to Him, as a mom, as a wife, and as a businesswoman.

In His tender mercy, He brought this verse to my mind. 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Friend, I learned that I will never obtain this high standard of the Proverbs 31 woman, but with the Grace of Jesus Christ living within me, He will guide me in His way. His grace is sufficient. His strength is made perfect in weakness. We can look at story after story in the Bible.

Moses stuttered, yet God used him as the spokesperson for His people to lead his people for 40 years in the wilderness.

Jonah was impulsive and disobedient, yet once Jonah submitted to God he used Jonah to deliver a message to a wicked nation that caused them to repent and turn from their wicked ways

In the New Testament, we can look to Paul or Peter, or Stephen, all imperfect men used of God.

All this to say, please remember that as I go through these examples. Lean on the grace of Jesus Christ and leave the results up to Him!

The Proverbs 31 woman

Let’s start with Proverbs 31:13 - "She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands."
Involved in product production, demonstrating skills in creating handmade products for sale.
21st-century Examples include: Starting an Etsy shop to sell handmade items.
Engaging in the crafting industry through a blog, social media, and collaborating with brands for sponsored content.
I have a friend who sews and any time someone in our local Facebook community is looking for pants to be hemmed, dresses to be altered or clothing to be repaired someone always tags her. I don’t think she does any other advertising beyond word of mouth.

Proverbs 31:14 - "She is like the merchant ships, she bringeth her food from afar."
Engaged in trade, indicating a business-minded approach to acquiring resources.
The modern-day example would be something like E-commerce Business:
Managing an online store that sources products nationally and internationally.
Management and Delegation:
Proverbs 31:15 - "She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
Effectively managed a household, overseeing both family and servants, showcasing leadership and organizational skills.
We don’t have servants as they did in Bible times, but when your business grows to the point where you can hire someone to help you. You will pay them a generous wage.
Practically this looks like, planning meals, keeping up with the household chores, and caring for the needs of your family, while building your business. This may sound like an impossible task for you as a busy mom, but please ask the Lord to help you. Remember, His strength is made perfect in weakness.

Real Estate Investment:
Verse Reference: Proverbs 31:16 - "She considereth a field and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard."
Invested in real estate by acquiring a field and turning it into a vineyard, showcasing a strategic approach to wealth-building.
This may seem like an impossible dream, but it is possible. Our family was able to purchase a humble property and we have fixed it up we now have a short-term rental that, although, not providing much income does pay for itself. Not only that, this property taught me how to clean and manage properties that turned into a quick cash injection for building the business that I have now. You can learn more about that in episode 7, fueling your dreams.

Proverbs 31:17 (KJV): "She girdeth her loins with strength and strengtheneth her arms."

21st-century Examples:

Back in Bible times, most people had to work hard for everything, for each meal. In today’s world, we have so much technology that makes our lives easier, from running water to automobiles to computers. With the abundance of food and lack of physical excursions, the fitness industry has exploded. Perhaps, this is a niche you could enter. In my opinion, this industry needs more Christian influence. For example, a focus on God-given physical abilities and God-given food.

Physical Fitness Trainer:
Engaging in regular exercise and strength training to maintain physical strength and well-being.
Entrepreneur in Health and Wellness Products:
Operating a business that sells health and wellness products, promoting physical strength and fitness.
Content Creator in Fitness Niche:
Running a YouTube channel or blog that focuses on fitness, providing strength-training routines and health tips.
Online Personal Trainer:
Offering virtual personal training sessions to clients, helping them build and strengthen their physical abilities.

We have learned about 5 verses in the Proverbs 31 woman. There are still 10 more verses to explore. If you liked this episode and would like to continue this series, would you please leave me a review on Apple Podcast? I want to provide content that my listeners benefit from.