Thursday, May 04, 2006

Interesting Reactions

The comments on the last post were interesting. Something about the topic of women working outside the home versus working in the home seem to bring out the passion. However the article I referred to wasn't offering commentary, only noting a trend.

I think it is instructive to see what the general population is doing. When you have a fairly sizeable chunk of women who aren't necessarily Christians moving away from the work world and back into the home, Christian women should take heart that the command to be a keeper at home is a good one to follow. Does that mean she must always and only work at home? Of course not! Individual circumstances dictate what may or may not take place. However, as a general rule, the natural desire of women to work in the domestic sphere and to raise their own children is a natural God-given bent that even those outside of Christ recognize. In our rush to be oh so trendy and with it, it is easy for us Christians to gloss this over.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks mom and I agree, I will publish my name this time,
Trista

Anonymous said...

Trista, next time before you go calling someone ignorant, perhaps you might stop and think about what it is you know about that person. If anyone has a reason to work outside the home (based on your reasoning), it is me. By your very reasoning, *I* am in sin because I have chosen to stay home and care for my children and manage my home, rather than pursing a job to provide for my family - which is my husbands job.

I have discussed this issue at great lengths with many other Christian women, your mother included, for the past 6-8 years, on a regular and ongoing basis. I can come to no other conclusion based on the scriptural commands to both men and women and the Church, than that God has called me for a certain position and I do not get to usurp my husbands position just because he is not doing as good a job as I might hope. To do so, would be to fail to trust in the Lord to provide for all of my needs, no matter what the surface may look like.

Yes, the Proverbs 31 woman is a business woman - but she is not employed by *others* outside of her home on a regular and ongoing basis. She has not chosen to submit herself to the authority of a man who is not her husband. She has not chosen to usurp the position of her husband as the main provider of the family. Her activities are family and home centered.

The home and the duties of women have been largely abandoned by those in the Church. When a woman spends a great deal of her time employed outside of the home, she is no longer free to pursue many of the things she is commanded to do - those very things that the Proverbs 31 woman does.

As one pastor said in regard to whether women may be employed outside the home - when the women of the Church start doing what they are commanded to do, we might start discussing what else they are permitted to do.

Nickey

Anonymous said...

Dear Nickey,
I find your comments praise worthy, and at the same time I am troubled, I too am a full-time Mother. I made the comment earlier in the last thread about women having the choice to stay home. My thoughts on this were not just regarding women in the church but women in society at large.

In the church, we must remember there are plenty of carnal Christians also who may have a strong aversion to staying home with their chidren. It is all well and good (and I mean that) for us to discuss what the Bible says, and I agree that children need their mothers at home, I agree that is what the Lord would have us do, I agree that is what the Bible clearly asks of Mothers. But I am not sure it is in the best interest of children for them to stay home with someone who has to, and doesn't want to.

Being a full-time Mother is very challenging, and rewarding. It is also a very lonely, isolating, and at time very tough job. I can't imagine someone doing it who didn't chose that for herself, but was put in a position of "having to do it".

Thankyou for what you have written! I have been blessed by your words, onward Christian Lady!

May God richly bless you,
Rebecca~Mama to 7 under 8!
www.homeschoolblogger/praiseherinthegates