Dear ladies, you can’t win for losing! Christian author Abigail Dodds writes, “What has the power to set a woman on edge and make her feel everything from shame to pride to embarrassment to judgment to superiority and in between? Ask her what she does for a living.
“Among Christians, this shouldn’t be the case, but alas, many can attest that it is. Single women may feel that somehow they’re missing out on the calling of motherhood and wish they didn’t have to work a job. Others may be happy to forgo husband and kids and find joy in a career. If a mom works outside the home, she may fear judgment, whether real or imagined, from the stay-at-home-mom contingent. If a mom has embraced homemaking full-time, she similarly tends to feel judgment, real or imagined, by her working counterpart. Or better put, real and imagined, for both women.”1
Today is National Working Moms Day. I was almost going to write about something else today, but this topic nagged at me, and I had to get something off my chest and rant for a moment. Please forgive anything that comes across snippy or with attitude.
There are those who have felt it necessary to castigate the women who work outside of the home, calling it sin. They have twisted Scripture and ignored others. Their comments are uninformed, judgmental, and insulting.
There is no question that Titus 2:5 says that older women are to teach the younger women, “to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. And 1 Timothy 5:14 says, “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” This means that the woman’s first priority is to her home and family – well, God first, then her home and family.
But does that mean that she can’t work outside the home? Does that mean it’s a sin to have a job in addition to the job of home and family?
NO! And for those who say it is a sin, you really need to stop saying that. Stop today. Stop NOW.
The Proverbs 31 woman worked inside and outside the home. “She does what is good for her husband (Proverbs 31:12), makes sure her family is clothed (Proverbs 31:21), and provides food for her household (Proverbs 31:15). Outside of the home, she buys and manages fields (Proverbs 31:16). She makes and sells products (Proverbs 31:18, 24).”2 Last time I read Proverbs 31, I didn’t see anything about this woman sinning. In fact, Proverbs 31:10 asks, “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” That is very high praise!
Luke 8 tells us of the women that travelled with Jesus and provided for him out of their substance. Jesus didn’t reject them or tell them to go home.
Acts 16:14 says, “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.” She obviously worked outside the home, selling her goods.
Acts 18:2-3 says, “And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. (3) And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.”
Our culture isn’t the same today as it was in Bible days. We don’t make our own clothes, most of us don’t make our own bread, churn our own butter, milk our own cow, slaughter and pluck the chick, and do a lot of the things “from scratch” that they did back in Bible days. Home life doesn’t require work sun up to sun down just to do the basics.
I wholeheartedly believe that a woman’s first priority is to God and second to her husband and children. That’s what the Bible teaches. But it is not a sin for her to work outside the home, provided she is meeting the first two priorities. The Bible never calls it sin so what gives someone else the right to call it sin?
Some women will say, “I’m so thankful my husband has a job where I don’t have to work and I can be a Biblical woman.” Oh, I can feel the rage coming out of some of you when you think about that statement! Calm down, dear lady, I’m mad enough at that for the both of us! That statement is infuriating, degrading, unkind, opinionated, unbiblical – go ahead, add your adjectives to the list.
That’s great if a husband can do that. But, most cannot and there is no shame in that. The cost of everything is through the roof. Health insurance is astronomical! Grocery prices are outlandish! And the price at the pump will shock you every time. One income these days can seldom cut it. And even if it can, it doesn’t mean that you still can’t work if you wanted to.
And, a Biblical woman?!? I’ll let the Proverbs 31 lady tell me what a Biblical woman looks like, thank you very much.
Christian author and farmer’s wife Lauren Eberspacher wrote an encouraging blog for women. I’d encourage you to read the entirety of it by clicking the link. She concluded her article with these words:
“So to the single mom working her tail off to provide for her family, who longs to be home with her babies, but the choice is not hers to make – keep working.
“To the wife who picks up an extra shift to help make up for the increased cost of monthly health insurance – keep working.
“To the woman who is educated and gifted and truly loves her job – keep working.
“To the wife who is working hard to save money before she and her husband start trying to grow their family – keep working.
“To the wife who goes back to work while her husband battles sickness and injury at home – keep working.
“And to the stay at home wives and moms who wipe bottoms, cook meals, scrub floors, and sit in the school pick up lines – keep working.”3
I’ll conclude with Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:31. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
1https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/every-womans-call-to-work
2https://www.compellingtruth.org/woman-work-outside-home.html
3https://herviewfromhome.com/is-it-a-sin-to-be-a-christian-woman-and-work-outside-the-home/
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