A Keeper at Home

How often have we read Titus chapter two and thought that it only applied to mothers? Yes, I believe it is very important for mother's to be in the home! But I have been thinking and reading some about what culture has done to womanhood in general. Think back fifty or so years... basically before World War II... the line was often said "The woman's place is in the home." Men didn't want their wives to have to work outside the home. Men wanted to be able to provide for their family and they didn't want their wives to have to work. But with the attack on Pearl Harbor, men were needed to fight and women took up the slack in the factories - enter Rosie the Riveter!

Today's society has placed a stigma on these women at home; for the woman put on a pedestal is the "career woman." She works the nine-to-five job in her suit and high heels, perfectly coiffured and manicured, never frazzled or bedraggled. She has a college education, probably in business, but other degrees are acceptable as long as she uses them. Oh, and of course, she is trim and physically fit, probably at the gym at five every morning. She always eats healthy foods, but must have the requisite cappuccino in hand from her favorite coffee shop. She enters her office juggling a briefcase with a laptop, a bagel with low fat cream cheese, the cup of coffee, the morning paper, her cell phone/pda, and her designer purse. She is always composed, never ruffled or emotional. She might be married with children, but if not that is ok, after all she is a career woman.


The woman at home? According to the new feminist view, she might be up at five - fixing breakfast for her domineering machismo husband. Her hair is frazzled and she is pictured in an old robe and bedroom slippers until about three in the afternoon when she dons another frumpy outfit. She has never finished her education, after all who needs an education to know how to be a wife? She doesn't know what is going on in the world around her, and depends on her husband for all her information and decisions.

Ok, enough of the feminist view!!!! What is career woman really like?? I think she probably really wants to stay home. She would love to be the one watching the baby take his first steps, but society dictates that she earn a living to pay for the large house, designer clothing, and fancy car. She would love to read to her toddler, but she has to be at the gym keeping up her image. Because to stay at home is not acceptable!

What about the woman at home? The world wants us to view her as I have pictured above, but what is she really like?
Does staying at home mean that she doesn't have an income? Not necessarily, there are many projects she might undertake and the internet has opened up a myriad of possibilities of sales and design.
Does it mean she is not physically fit? Of course not, who said one has to pay a fancy gym for exercise? what about gardening, cleaning, or just plain walking and meeting the neighbors?
Not only does the woman at home have time to keep her home, but she is available for others. She has time to plan the Sunday school classes, or help the people in need, or just to be a friend.

She has time to BE, not bound by schedules or appointments or the priorities of others.
She can BE THERE for those in her world who need her, her children, husband, family, friends, and those that need someone to care.
She can BE CREATIVE. She can focus on the interior of her home, and making it truly a home - not rely on a designer that she has to pay because she doesn't have the time herself. She can focus on her talents and how she can use them for others whether in crafts, cooking, music, or even electronics/computers.
She can BE FREE. Free to be herself, not bound by the world's ambitions. Free to be who God desires for her to be. Free to be a wife and mother, as God created her to desire to be.
She can BE SATISFIED. Satisfied with what she has. Satisfied without the latest styles or fads. She can be satisfied with her smaller home and modest vehicle. She doesn't have to have every flashy new thing-a-magig on the market. She is satisfied and she is thankful.

In saying this, I don’t think it wrong for a woman to work. I hope nobody misunderstands my intentions. I know some women have to work to make ends meet, even if there are children in the home, or they simply choose to work. Everyone has different circumstances. My point is that God’s design is for women to mainly be at home. Of course our obvious example is the woman described in Proverbs 31, and a woman’s role is also described as I said above in Titus 2. The antithesis of the Proverbs 31 woman is described in Proverbs 7, in verse 11 she “abide(s) not in her house.”

I have also come across a variety of other information on that topic from various sources. In this book, published in 1986, Dr. Dobson comments on the new view of womanhood,

Thus in the period of a single decade, the term housewife has become a pathetic symbol of exploitation, oppression and – pardon the insult – stupidity, at least as viewed from the perspective of radical feminists. We can make no greater mistake as a nation than to continue this pervasive disrespect shown to women who have devoted their lives to the welfare of their families. (page 41)

An article from BBC news wonders “What became of the Housewife?”
And in this article from Forbes, men are urged “Don’t Marry a Career Woman.”
(These articles don’t necessarily represent the opinions of this author in entirety; they are just some interesting culture opinions.)

If you have gotten this far, thanks for reading all of this!! :) I know it is probably by far my longest post. However, these thoughts have been rambling around in my head for a few weeks, and I needed to get them out and organized.

Pictures courtesy of:
www.montgomerycountymd.gov
http://honors.umd.edu
www.allposters.com