Early this morning before my work shift, I was reading through some passages of Scripture, trying to gain my daily strength from the Word. One verse in particular caught my eye and got me thinking. Hard.

“A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown.” Proverbs 12:4

Phew. Her husband’s CROWN?

The fact that I could be the CROWN of my husband and our marriage is something both wonderful and convicting. But it all depends on me and my character. I then thought about the crown and what symbolism it holds, to better understand what the Lord was telling me.

The Crown

As far back as Bible times, crowns were often made out of gold and adorned with precious stones and jewels. They were delicate, intricate pieces that were of much value and beauty. They were emblems of power, royalty, and GLORY. When Isaiah prophesied the coming of Christ, He likened Him to a crown:

“In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of His people.” Isaiah 28:5

I’m amazed that God likens a wife’s character to this great symbol. I’m encouraged and reminded that we are more than just a help-meet, a submissive follower, and a prayer warrior for him. We are the embodiment of strength and of royalty that lifts him up and adorns his life. We have the power to enhance his image, as well as to empower him. Our actions and attitude reflect not only ourselves, but our husbands. We have the ability to showcase his heart and character, and let others know if he is a man worthy to stand above others and receive great respect.

What it Means for Me

I’m not sure about you, but that gives me great resolve to test my character. Knowing that I have that potential makes me want to stretch myself all the more. And by the way, I don’t think it’s something that happens overnight. I don’t think it’s something you just “attain” and then that’s it. I believe it is a process. It requires patience, and it has a neverending purpose. We should never stop wanting to better our husbands. We should never stop testing our character, searching the Lord on how we can serve better, and finding ways to encourage and build our husbands up.

This passage has a similar correlation to Proverbs 31, where we read about the woman whose husband sat “in the gates with the elders.” Because of her love and support, she helped build him to a position of honor and respect.

It is my prayer that I could be that rock and support for my own husband. I want to see him sitting in the gates. I want to see him crowned with respect and honor. And I want to challenge myself to build my character and start making some changes in my own spiritual life. I pray God would help me learn what it means to have “noble character” and how to put that into play in my marriage.

Think about this in your own relationship now, even if you are not married yet. Yes, it’s true that the Bible speaks of women as the “weaker vessel,” but think about the implication of this small little verse, and what that means for us as a women. God clearly has given us such a divine and powerful role. We have a beautiful purpose inside a godly relationship and marriage.

Think about how you can develop “noble” character, and how you can start living out what it means to be the crown of your husband.

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Charity White is a dreamer, believer, writer, and professional photographer living in Southern California with her husband of 3 years. She could lay in the sun with a thriller novel and giant bowl of cereal every day and be perfectly happy. But mostly, her passion lies in ministry for young girls, inspiring them to be brave and share their stories through portraiture. Together, her and her husband have led youth groups, college ministry, and have big dreams of traveling overseas for missions. You can see her work on the Website and connect on Instagram.