The Proverbs 31 Girl Is...A Go-Getter

There's a stereotype of the typical teenage girl. She is always reapplying her makeup, wears super-tight clothes, and squeals at the sight of dirt. She is lazy and doesn't want to work.

What's wrong with this picture?

Many things are wrong with it, but today I want to focus on the laziness factor. You see, Proverbs 31:16 says "She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard." The Proverbs 31 girl is

• a) Not afraid to get her hands dirty doing work that could be considered menial;
• b) Willing to achieve her goals with hard work and determination. 

The Work Factor
The thing is, you can't achieve your goals by sitting around thinking about them. The Proverbs 31 girl is a go-getter; she doesn't want to settle for less than the life she wants. And she does the work herself, even the hard or tedious parts (i.e. getting your big sister to do your homework for you is not a good idea).

The verse says, "with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard." The things she has achieved from her hard work give her the ability to press forward with new work and goals. If you always sit around watching TV, this isn't going to happen.

So, how can you start working hard toward your goals and crafting the life you want?

• Actually think about what your goals are. What do you want your life to look like in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Make a list of everything that comes to mind and narrow it down into specifics.
• Make a plan of things that you can do now to start working toward these goals. Maybe you can't buy a house or travel on mission trips yet, but could you start saving money toward those goals? Can you work harder in school to make sure you get a college degree? Is there special sports training that you need to get onto an elite team?
• Follow your plan! Plans mean nothing if you don't carry them out. Chase your dreams!

What do you think? Do you have goals? What action are you taking now to follow them? Do you have anything you would add to the tips above?