Pro 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

Pro 12:4  A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. The virtuous wife is beautifully portrayed in Proverbs 31:10-31. In the Bible, Ruth is the only woman who has been bestowed with this honour (Ruth 3:11). Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, said her virtuous reputation was known by all. What a compliment from the words of a mother-in-law. As we read the book of Ruth, we see a woman who was gentle, submissive, and diligent. Even when her husband had passed away, she remained duty bonded to her mother-in-law. Ruth was a crown to her husband. His neighbors and friends could be saying to him: “You have a wonderful wife.” Are you a virtuous wife? Solomon says a wife that brings shame to her husband is as rottenness in his bones; it’s like having a bone cancer. Are you a crown or a bone cancer to your husband? But some will protest: “But my husband is such a jerk. He is a lazy good for nothing. He is unromantic. He doesn’t care about the family. He is also selfish and hot temper.” But you chose your husband; didn’t you? Why did you fall in love with him then? What has changed? Rather, who has changed? Remember Abigail (read 1 Samuel 25). She didn’t have a worthy husband. The Scripture describes her husband, Nabal, as “churlish and evil in his doings”. The word “churlish” means hard, cruel, stubborn, and fierce. The Scripture describes Abigail as a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance (1 Samuel 25:3). You may be wondering how such a virtuous woman ended up with such a man. Well, they didn’t have friendship, courtship, and then marriage then. It was match make and wedding. Couples then learned to love the ones they married. Today, couples married the ones they loved, and then hate the ones they married. In spite of her husband’s failing, Abigail still performed her duties as a wife. We are told in 1 Corinthians 13 that “charity suffereth long.” Abigail was willing to suffer a long time living with her husband even though he did not deserve it. When she knew that David was about to kill her husband, she wasn’t glad at all. Instead, she acted quickly to appease the wrath of David. Thank God for this virtuous woman in a fool's life. Sisters, if you think your husbands are like Nabal, think of Abigail and how she kept her duties as a faithful wife in spite of whatever character her husband was. Abigail would not return evil with evil. A woman who makes her husband ashamed causes his life to be miserable and is rottenness to his bones. Are you a virtuous wife? This honour is not what you think you have; it’s what others think about you. You may think you have done your part in keeping the peace in the marriage, but what do your friends think? What does God think? It is the Holy Spirit who penned down the words “virtuous” when He talks about Ruth; others thought the same about her too (Ruth 3:11). It is the character and conduct that determines if a woman is virtuous. She may be a very successful career woman, a top CEO perhaps, but if she fails in her duties as a virtuous wife, she is a failure. The same is in the church. Sisters, do you love your husbands? Are you performing your duties as a virtuous wife? Is your marriage a good example in the church? Are you able to teach this lesson to the younger women how to be a virtuous wife? Solomon says: “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30). Sisters, the LORD has spoken in His words about your marriage and duties; LISTEN! “Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates” (Proverbs 31:31). Are your works praising you in the gates? Are you a virtuous wife?