One time when I was working as a Civil Engineer, my boss asked me about my career goals. I told him that I wanted to continue to develop my skills in the specialized area of stormwater management and become the best civil engineer I could be for as long as I was doing this. And then, mustering up an extra ounce of courage (or foolishness, if you ask him), I added, “but eventually I want to be a stay at home mom.”

You may not be surprised to hear that I was terminated from my job a few weeks later. When I look back at that conversation and the soon-following termination, two things become evident to me:

  1. To my supervisor, it appeared that I didn’t want to have a career.
  2. To me, taking care of a home and raising a family was a career.

While I may not have recognized it in my head when I said it, as we know, “Out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45, NKJV). Even then, my heart believed that home management is a career, not just something you do instead of a real job.

Now as I sit here ready to fully embrace my career as Home Manager I see a need to give the position the validation that it deserves by defining it. A wise man, King Solomon, wrote almost an entire chapter in the bible on the subject of “an excellent wife”. I am done with being mediocre when it comes to maintaining my home and family environment. I want to be an excellent wife, and what better place to start then here!

Below I have written a job description for the “Excellent Wife”, based on the verses from Proverbs 31, which are referenced. This will serve as a starting point for those of us trying to get our bearings.

Position: Virtuous and capable wife.

Qualifications and skills:

  • Hard-working (17)
  • Energetic & Strong (17)
  • Crafty/Resourceful (13, 19, 22, 24)
  • Clothed in strength and dignity (25)
  • Busy, Not lazy (27)
  • Fears the Lord (30)

Duties:

  • Rises early (15)
  • Shops for food (14)
  • Prepares breakfast (15)
  • Plans household tasks (15)
  • Delegates tasks (15)
  • Earns for her household (16, 24)
  • Deals profitably – doesn’t waste money (18)
  • Helps others in need (20)
  • Dresses well (22)
  • Ensures her family has the clothing they need (21)
  • Watches over everything in her household (27)
  • Speaks wise words (26)
  • Gives instructions with kindness (26)
  • Laughs without fear of the future (25)
  • Brings good, not harm, to her husband (12)

Compensation:

  • Her deeds declare her praise. (31)
  • Her children stand and bless her. (28)
  • Her husband praises her and trusts her. (28, 11)
  • She is valued more than rubies. (10)