She has a servant's heart.

Proverbs 31:15a
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household...

Whether or not serving others comes naturally to you, it's an important aspect of your relationship with others and with the Lord.  Galatians 5:13 tells us to serve one another in love.  Each day, you should seek to serve those around you above your own needs, especially your family and loved ones.  Taking time to serve others is not only obeying what the Lord has asked you to do, but it will strengthen the relationships in your life and help you to show Christ's love to those around you. 

How have you served others today?  Have you sacrificed anything of yourself in order to be a servant of the Lord?

Ephesians 5:2 says, "Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.  He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God."

I love serving.  It's often how I feel most connected with the Lord and most in tune with myself.  Whenever there is an opportunity to serve the needy in my community or across the world, I can't wait to join in.  However, at times I become so busy that I forget to serve those closest to me.

A woman of godly character sacrifices her own needs to serve her family and loved ones.  She has a servant's heart and a good attitude about what the Lord has called her to do: serve.

And to make myself clear, I'm not saying that a godly wife should serve her family only because she is a wife... I'm saying that a godly wife (and unmarried women as well) should serve her family because she is following the example of Christ.  He served His disciples by washing their feet, He sacrificed Himself out of love for us, and He has called you to follow His example by being a servant for Him.

Today I challenge you to intentionally serve someone close to you.  Whether it's washing the dishes without being asked, doing a favor for a friend, or taking time out of your day to help someone who needs you, deliberately take the action to serve someone.  Ask the Lord to bring opportunities into your day to be a servant; He will.

Remember that serving requires making sacrifices of your own.  Just as the woman in Proverbs 31 rises before daylight, sacrificing her own luxury of sleeping in, at times you may need to make a sacrifice of your own in order to serve someone else.  Be willing to make that sacrifice.  Romans 12:1 says, "I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship Him."  Let the Lord use you, even if it means giving up some luxuries and downtime of your own.  

Also, make the effort to be servant-minded in your daily interactions with others.  2 Timothy 2:24 says, "A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people."  In your communication with your family, friends, roommates, classmates, and even that rude driver who cuts you off, continually remind yourself that you are here to serve others, even when it's difficult.

Speak with kindness and patience today.  Don't let selfishness and frustration get in the way of having a servant's heart.  Being a servant is such an important part of being a woman of noble character.  Shine through even the most stressful of days. 

Be a servant today.