4/4/06

Encouragement for Today

“Home-based Business Success Tips”

Glynnis Whitwer, Senior Editor – “P31 Woman Magazine,” Proverbs 31 Speaker Team Member

Key Verse:

Proverbs 31:24, “She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.” (NIV)

Devotion:

Every woman is a working woman; whether it’s running a business, running a home or possibly both. With the advances of technology, it’s easier than ever for women to do both – and do it from the comfort of their living room.

The idea of a home-based business isn’t new. In fact at one time, most businesses were run from homes. Proverbs 31 paints a beautiful example of a home-based woman entrepreneur.

In Proverbs 31:24 we learn that the Proverbs 31 woman “makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.” Obviously she was successful in her venture or the verse might have read, “she has boxes of linen garments and sashes in her barn that she can’t sell and doesn’t know what to do with.”

The Proverbs 31 Woman was a successful businesswoman and here are just a few of the home-based business success tips we can learn from her:

Verse 27 reads, “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” This tells us she made caring for the needs of her household a priority. Home-based businesses can drain your reservoirs of time and energy because there’s always more to be done. A wise businesswoman orders her priorities, creating a healthy balance.

Verse 17 reads, “She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.” We see that the Proverbs 31 woman worked with strength and vigor. Because most our work today is inactive, this involves a commitment to health: sufficient sleep, a balanced diet, maintaining appropriate weight and strong muscles.

Verse 16 reads, “She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.” This woman thought ahead. A home-based entrepreneur needs a plan for the future. This might involve growth plans, marketing plans, how to improve quality, new market trends or changes in customer needs.

We don’t know if running a home-based business brought wealth to the Proverbs 31 woman. But we do know she was able to honor her husband, raise loving children and maintain a household while investing in her business. The key to this had to have been her love for the Lord as her top priority.

A home-based business isn’t for everyone, but for those whom God calls to work at home, there is honor and value in humbly serving God and our families in this manner.

My Prayer for Today:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the meaning and value You place on working in our homes. I thank You for the home You have provided for me; may I never take it for granted. I praise You for Your goodness and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Application Steps:

If you currently work from home, identify one way you can improve your business this week.

Reflection Points:

Read Proverbs 31:13. What does “eager hands” tell you about the Proverbs 31 Woman’s attitude toward her work at home?

What helps you keep a positive attitude about your work at home?

The Proverbs 31 Woman planned for the future. Few people set goals for themselves. What are some goals you can set for six months or a year from now?

The Proverbs 31 Woman showed good stewardship of her time and money. Which area (time or money) would like to improve your stewardship? What are some practical ways you can do that this week?

Power Verses:

Proverbs 31:31, “Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (NIV)

Genesis 2:2, “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” (NIV)

Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (NIV)

2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." (NIV)