Seeing the Physical with Spiritual Eyes

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.  She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.  She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.  She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.  She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.  She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.  Her lamp does not go out at night.  She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.  She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy." Proverbs 31:13-20

Honestly, I had a really hard time finding a break in these next sets of verses in Proverbs 31.  This all seemed like a lot of "doing" and not a lot of "being" on the surface at first glance.  There seems to be much work and busy hands.  Yet, when you look at this through spiritual eyes and you see this woman, this bride, as not only a man's wife but the picture of the Bride of Christ and what she ought to be doing  on this earth until her Lord, her bridegroom returns, there is so much more here!  As the Bride of Christ, the church ought to be steadily out seeking to commit ourselves to Kingdom work.  Our hands must be willing to do what we are called to do.  We ought to be wise with the talents the Lord has given us, good stewards of the blessings he's poured out on our heads and use those things to spread the Gospel, provide for the needs of the family of God, and also seek to stretch out our hands to the needy, the widowed and the orphaned. We have but little time upon this earth to do what we've been commissioned by God to do, so we ought to, "make the best use of time." (Colossians 4:5)  

But also, as an earthly wife, this woman is a planner, a provider, a strong and able woman with a wise and keen mind.  Her beauty lies in her strength; that is what she dresses herself in.  But, as strong and wise and busy she is; She is also kind, tender and compassionate.  She not only looks to the needs of herself or her family, but she's looking for ways to be a blessing to those around her and even strangers.  What a beautiful picture of the Gospel.  Aren't you thankful that the Lord didn't limit his showering of grace and mercy upon the Jews only but also to the Gentiles?  I am very, very thankful for that.

So, where does that leave you and I?  Are we planners and need-meeters to our families as we most assuredly ought to be?  We should also be finding ways to be blessings to those around us.  Maybe there is someone around you that has every physical need met, but I submit to you that the most poor and needy are those without Christ.  I don't know about you, but I have far more people like that in my community and my own family than those with monetary needs.  And didn't the Lord say, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul?"