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Presented by Lauren Stibgen
Many of us have read about the Proverbs 31 woman. Proverbs 31 verses 10-31 describe a woman who is to be praised for her godly character. In today’s reality, she embodies what many of us as Christian working women are: wives, mothers, and business leaders! Looking at this example in Proverbs 31, we consider some of the attributes that can impact our leadership.
A wife of noble character, who can find? (Proverbs 31:10)
Maybe when you hear the word noble your mind goes directly to a king or queen. However, another definition of noble is having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.
One can argue having high moral principles and ideals is one of the most important attributes of a leader. While most companies have a code of conduct, it is your behavior in the office or how you show up that matters.
As a Christian, our moral principles and ideals are shaped by God’s Word in the Bible. At the highest level in John 15:12 we are called to love one another as Jesus has loved us. Being noble means showing our shareholders, colleagues, subordinates, customers, and even suppliers an attitude that exudes Christ’s love. Often, we see this referred to as servant leadership.
Think of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. This seems less than noble. Feet today are smelly, but back in Jesus’ time, people walked around in hot weather, in dust and dirt. It was a servant’s job to wash feet.
We don’t need to wash feet at work, but there are simple ways to show love. Perhaps it is acknowledging a birthday or work anniversary. Maybe you celebrate your team’s success by acknowledging a job well done. Is a member of your team experiencing a trial with health or family? How can you support them?
Let’s think of another definition of noble for a moment: belonging to a hereditary class with high social or political status. I think we have all met this leader who feels anointed to their position. Someone who has an air about them who feels above people. They don’t make time or reach down to help their team. Maybe it is hard to approach them.
Focusing on high moral standards and ideals, I challenge you to read more about how Jesus served others and to look further into how the woman of noble character served others as well.