What Are the Marks of a Godly Woman?

What are the marks of a godly woman? What attributes show her heart is devoted to the Lord?

Cares for Others

What are the marks of a godly woman? What attributes show her heart is devoted to the Lord? Many people point to Proverbs 31 and mention a “Proverbs 31 Woman” and for good reason. Many godly women care for others, often more than themselves. For example, a godly woman “opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy” (Prov 31: 20). She has been blessed, so she blesses others who are needy and poor. That’s what godly women do. This kind of woman knows that “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” (Prov 30:30). Her “fear” is a reverential respect, fear and awe of God, not a fear of being struck dead. Obeying God shows you have a fear of God.

Cares for Family

A godly woman also cares for her family. As Solomon wrote, “She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness” (Prov 30:27). She may also get up very early, “while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens” (Prov 30:15). A godly woman makes a wonderful wife and mother because her heart is like that of a servant; always seeing to the needs of her family…and often to her own neglect. That’s how selfless godly women are, mothers or not. It’s a mark of a godly woman.

Cares for Animals

As for caring for animals, we know that God cares very much for His creation and part of a godly woman’s nature is providing for her family, including the care of the animals in the home (Prov 30:15). My wife is a godly woman and she is a supreme example of someone who cares for animals; either for our own or strays or those who have been abandoned or orphaned. She is not only the “people ambulance” but the pet ambulance, taking our cats to the vet when necessary and for regular vaccinations. God makes it clear that “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel” (Prov 12:10). God obviously cares for His creatures since our “heavenly Father feeds them” (Matt 6:26). We may not think sparrows are worth very much because there are typically thousands of them and they’ve very small and insignificant and not work much. In fact, it was only “two sparrows sold for a penny…yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father” (Matt 10:29)? God takes notices of the least of the creatures, but so do godly people. They never abuse, mistreat, frighten or neglect creatures of God, no matter where they come from or whose they are.

Widows and Orphans

Godly women will care for those who are unseen by society and sometimes by the church. They might be invisible to most of the world, but they’re highly visible to God and He takes careful notice of them and their care (or lack thereof). My wife visits the local nursing home twice a month and ministers to these ladies and men. She is loved by them as a daughter because she treats them with dignity and respect. That’s another mark of a godly woman. She visits the orphans and widows in their loneliness and isolation. She has a letter writing ministry (of 70 plus) that reaches many shut-ins who cannot attend church or get out into public due to age, illness or being homebound. God defines “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). True religion is a faith with feet on it. It’s “goes” and doesn’t just talk. Knowing that almost 4 in 10 residents never receive visitors, this woman enriches their lives and shares her love of God with residents, visiting family members and with the staff who work there. God is the “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation” (Psalm 68:5), and so are godly woman of whom God can use as a means to His ends.

Comforting the Afflicted

Godly women by heart do not mistreat anyone, especially the elderly, the poor and the vulnerable. It’s as if this law is already written on her heart; “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child” (Ex 22:22). Incidentally, that Law is not part of the Mosaic Law that was done away with by Christ. Do you realize we can mistreat widows and orphans by our neglect of them? I wished I could encourage you by telling you that Christians visit their family in nursing homes more than the unsaved do, but I can’t. It’s nearly the same percentage. This is not an area of neglect for the godly woman. All believers should follow this command where we’re told, “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD” (Lev 19:32). That means, if you’re sitting down, stand up when an elderly person walks in the room. This is seen as a sign of respect and honor for the elderly. This command, like honoring your mother and father, is not part of the Mosaic Law either that was nailed to the cross by Christ.

Conclusion

To honor our parents never goes out of style or has never been deleted from God’s law. Honoring parents is still commanded (Eph 6:2) as much as the day it was written by the finger of God (Ex 20:12). The fact it was written by God Himself (by His finger) and given by God on stone tablets, speaks of its permanence; and like the Word of God, it shall abide forever (Psalm 119: 89; Isaiah 40:6-8; 1 Pet 2:5). In other words, it will never expire or need to be changed because of the times we’re living in. Nope! God’s Word is settled in heaven, so nothing on earth can change it.

I think these three things tell us a lot about a person’s character; how do they treat their mother; how do they treat children, and how do they treat animals? Even better, how do they treat strangers or people who are much different from the way they are? A godly woman has no prejudice and like God, is not partial to a person’s nationality or skin color or sex (Rom 2:11-16). If you have never trusted in Christ, you cannot be a godly man or woman. Repent today before Jesus comes as your Judge (Rev 20:12-15) rather than your Savior (Rom 10:9-13). And He could come back today…even while you’re reading this and judge you for all time (Rev 21:8). All the more reason that today is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).

Here is some related reading for you: Five Godly Women Found in Scripture

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Godly woman, Godly Women, orphans, Proverbs 31, widows