What about bad days?

"She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27 (NASB)

God really is amazing, and has such an incredible sense of humor. You know, while I was in the shower this morning, this exact thought went through my mind, "What about bad days? Did the Proverbs 31 Woman ever have a bad day?" Did they forget verse 32 where she laid down and took a nap, or asked her husband to watch the kids so she could go to Starbucks for a break? Did she ever just not feel like (fill in the blank) and not do it?"
As I looked back at the past two weeks I see days that I neglected my schedule (the kids were sick, I was sick, we had appointments, blah, blah, blah), days that I wanted to nap more than I can remember wanting to nap than when my babies were only weeks old; days when my chores were not completed the way they should have been and moments when I did not encourage my children to complete their chores or daily disciplines the way that they should. And then, this morning at church a word of Prophesy is spoken over me where which I am told, "Concentrate - you have many decisions to make in the coming months and years. God will use others and His word to show you what to do, but you must be self-disciplined"

What other word can best describe the Proverbs 31 woman than self-disciplined?

• She gets the job done no matter what it takes (v.11)
• She works hard enough to even make a profit (vv. 11-15)
• She delays her own gratification and pleasure to invest her profits and then tirelessly works those investments for further gain (vv. 16-19)
• She generously participates in the larger community by giving to the poor (v. 20)
• She has no fear of the future (vv. 21-27)
• She is honored, respected, admired, praised and rewarded (vv. 28-31)

What is self-discipline? Well, it is obedience to God's word and His call on our lives. It can be defined as "the ability to regulate one's conduct by principal and sound judgment, rather than by impulse or social custom"*. It is 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, and training to run the race with endurance and fight the fight with power and strength! But not our own strength, the strength that the Lord gives us. In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul tells Timothy, "For God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline". God has given me a spirit of self-discipline. I don't have to earn it or muster up the power or the will to do the right thing over and over again. But I do have to be diligent and self-disciplined to seek the Lord and concentrate on His word and the promises contained in it.
So, if the Proverbs 31 woman really did exist, then we can be certain that she wasn't perfect, and perhaps she did have "one of those days" every now and then! But the important thing here is that those days did not mark her character. Her nobility, her strength and dignity and her diligence are what she is remembered for. Because she did not "eat the bread of idleness" on a regular basis, on those days when she needed a break, she was allotted it with ease and pleasure (I speak out of assumption, not based on biblical teaching) by those around her who knew her hard work and desired to reward her with rest. She is a woman of composure, patience and self-possession who was productive, dependable and influential. By seeking to live a life marked with self-discipline, we all can be known as women with a genuine sense of calling and purpose for our lives, and with self-discipline governing the practical and spiritual areas of our lives, verses 10 through 29 of Proverbs 31 will be second nature to us and no longer an impossible mountain to climb. Then we too, along with this woman will, be given the product of our hands, and our works will praise us in the gates (v.31)