Can today’s woman be content with staying at home? Now from this question alone, the familiar sounds of controversy can be heard playing in the background. But the question remains what do women think of the role that has been handed to them throughout the ages; the role of a homemaker.
Now of course there are exceptions to this topic such as single women and mothers. But for the Christian married woman, is there an exception or a way that a woman can be career driven scripturally?
How many of the men who mindlessly say that a woman should be at home even know where in the Bible that mentality came from? It comes from a scripture in First Titus chapter 2, verse 3-5. “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
From the “keepers at home” line, Christian ministers used to teach that in marriage, women were to basically be homemakers. But since the cultural revolution of the past century though that piece of ministry hasn’t been heard in pulpits in a long time. Not only is it very taboo, it doesn’t fit with many of the congregation’s lives. But for the Christian women who plan on getting married, it does presently apply and this is something to be thought about.
In the past, women readily accepted the place at home taking care of things and keeping them in order. But during World War II, while all the able-bodied men were off fighting for our country, our government asked the women who could to work in the workforce. Before then there was little if any place for women at work.
My grandfather raised 11 children, and was the sole provider the entire time as a truck driver for the nearby oil refinery. The cheaper cost of living contributed to that greatly. But also they went without a lot of things. Their lifestyle was definitely more modest and the merchandise mindset we have today our grandparents didn’t have.
Today, though, the tables have been turned and many married mothers are actively engaged in the workforce, which brings home an extra paycheck. Most men wouldn’t complain about more money. The more money the two of them can make, the more they can have. This is greediness.
But, as men who are commanded by God to work, do we also fulfill the care of the house that is the woman’s duty? Often when both spouses are working fulltime, the household duties are split down the middle.
Now don’t get me wrong it’s one thing to help out with chores, but it’s another thing entirely to take the role over and/ or split it in half. According to the word of God, many Christians wouldn’t have a problem with the fact that there are distinctive roles for women and men. But we may often fail to realize that in order to be blessed, we must fit in with the mold that is already prescribed in his word. God cannot bless what we do not do.
Ideally in a Christian marriage, a man is to go out and work while the wife stays at home and takes care of the household and children. Separate from any opinion, in this basic marriage scenario there is no way around that conclusion.
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Aaron Jacobs