Wrong for women to have outside jobs?

Keepers AT home means Keepers AT home.

 

Unfortunately, now days it is almost impossible for women not to work outside of the home. If I didnt not work during my marriage we would of not eaten. It's not even that we could have done without another vehicle or a larger house we lived modestly on two incomes. We never had savings we had a small home and did not constantly eat out. Some people have two incomes because they desire more. We had two incomes (I say had as my husband recently asked for a divorce) because we needed two incomes. My husband did not and could not provide, he could have had he wanted too but refused to get a different job. If we were to have health insurance I needed to work. And thus I do and now i'm lucky I did or else I would have no means to support myself now that he has "released" me from our marriage. Am I just rambling or what...I truthfully believe that a woman should stay home if it is finacially feasable. however if it is not feasable and they must live in poverty without her income then I believe she should work

 

mommietosadie said

I am glad you explain this in your comment, because it was not impossible, it was the fact that your husband did not provide for you. We are about to celebrate our 30th anniversary and My wife has not worked outside of the home for almost 25 years now. God showed me that it was my responsiblity to provide for my family and I honored God by obeying Him and He blessed us. Doing God's way always work.

 

Congratulations on your 30 years.
I truly do believe that as a woman I should stay home and keep my home. However it's not always possible. I do hope that with my next marriage (not to say I want the divorce that I am currently going through) that I am able to stay home. I do not require a new fancy car or a huge home I want to be able to raise my children and put food on the table only.

Catherine

 

It's a far stretch to imply that being a keeper at home is a ban on women working out of the house.

Saying that the bible forbids women from working out of the home is a perversion of the Word of God.

 

This has been discussed several times. Maybe someone could supply the links if the threads are still available.

I think there are a lot of variables here.

It seems that it is most important for women to stay at home when they have small children.

Should a woman stay at home and not work outside the home before she has children?

Should a woman stay at home after the children are grown?

IMO, A woman can be Keeper at Home and work outside the home.

 

John V said

Keeper AT home means keeper AT home. No stretch there at all. You have to stretch it to mean otherwise.
But that is how bad doctrine gets started when you can't even believe what the Word of God says.
That is why we have latchkey kids, high youth crimes, high divorce rate. Oh well I guess you guys who have been divorce with working wives are the experts.

 

I have a hard time thinking the woman of Proverbs 31 stayed home while she was

-- bringing her food from afar (v. 14)
-- considering a field and buying it (v. 16)
-- planting a vineyard (v. 16)
-- trading (v. 17)
-- selling the garments she makes ( v. 24)
-- supplying the merchants with sashes (v. 24)

And she was married and not even single!

 

C'mon Helen. Don't confuse Jailmaster by quoting scripture. Everyone knows women should stay home, wear pants, and wear no make-up.

Think of the school systems with no female teachers, no nurses of the female persuasion.... So many more examples we could list......

I think this thread belongs on the Fundamentalist board.

 

You're forcusing in on the word "at". Such focusing is a perversion of the Word of God, since it does not exist inthe original Greek. The Word in the original Greek is ‘oikouros’ which is contextually translated "guardian of the home". It is not in any way a ban on women leaving the home, working outside the home, etc. Helen provides solid biblical support in her post that supports that.

How insulting of you. If it's of any of you're business (which it isn't), my marriage ended when my wife entered into an adulterous relationship while she was at home and I was at work being the sole financial provider. BTW, before passing judgement on those of us who are divorced, I suggest you try running a serrated knife through your heart and pouring salt into the wound. It feels something like that.

Although, I don't think many people would disagree with the idea that at least one parent needs to be at home when kids are in the home. But that's a different topic.

 

This line was a low blow JM. You should consider the fact that most people that experience divorce go through grief very similar to the death of a loved one. It isn't exactly something that should be used to goad someone or for shock factor.

But for the grace of God........

 

I have just one question. If those versus are in God's Word howcome he gives men AND WOMAN succesful careers? Im not saying I disagree with God's Word I just don't understand.

 

I think a woman should stay at home for many reasons, but it isn't always possible. I stay at home with our 2 children and it isn't always easy, society is set up in such a way that it is meant for there to be 2 incomes to make ends meet. We just got a new car after 4 years of marriage and many terrible used cars. We wouldn't have bought one except in order to make our bills Hubby has to work 45 minutes away.One more bill has made it even tighter for us. I started a business from home and thank God, it is helping alot this month! Anywho.... yes, a woman should stay at home, but I don't dare knock those that can't!
In Christ,
Peggy

 

Where we live one has to make about 90 thousand per year just to qualify for a home. In some mearby towns it takes more. The houses are appreciating at about 20 percent each year.

So for those who say the woman should never work outside the home could you give me some suggestions how to get by and buy a home. If you don't buy a home here your rent will soon come up to what the house payment was just a few years earlier.

 

Looking at all the Scriptures teach about a woman's role (including Titus 2 & Proverbs 31), I feel strongly that a woman is:
a. Her husband's "help" and the keeper of the home. While it is the man's job to "bring home the bacon" (or soy meat-replacement!), there are occasions when the woman acts as her husband's "help" by working outside of the home. This would be very restricted, however. For example:
* Are there children in the home? (Even teenagers need Mom there.) If so, can she work when the kids are at school (if she does not teach them herself)?
* Can she work from home? (Typing for pastors, college students, etc; Avon or Tupperware; child care for others; etc.)
* Can she do limited-time jobs (cleaning other people's homes, etc.) that would not require her to sacrifice her family for the dollar?

Other things to consider:
* Can the husband & wife learn more about saving pennies and contentment? For examples: Food eaten out or "microwavable" dinners are exorbient versus home cooked food. Clothing purchased at discount & thrift stores is far cheaper than JC Penney's. Reading more books (together as a family, as well as individually), hiking in the woods, picnicing at the lake, feeding the "wild" ducks at the pond, playing more games & carefully choosing family-oriented videos build family togetherness & cost far less than amusement parks, ski trips, cable TV and children's camps. If we do more together, simply, contentedly, it teaches a major lesson to our children about thankfulness to God, not loving the things of this world--and it teaches frugality to the entire family.
Personal Testimony:
After 25 years of marriage & being an "at home" Mom, I was looking at having to work part time to help my husband (v-e-r-y low salary position). We put our children in a Christian school so I could do this. After only 2 months my health gave out. We worried about how we could make it. All I can say is: God has wondrously supplied!!
Taking our children out of the Christian school & having them home with me once more, we went back to "life as normal". We have seen God build our trust in Him further (for money has never been something we've had in abundance), we've grown more thankful for what we have & learned more about how to "make do".
Further, when my husband lost his job, God continued to provide miraculously for us. We've not been tempted again for me to work outside the home, because the Lord has shown us that my best place of helping is right here.
No condemnation to women who must work, but I think too often we feel pressured to join the work force again because we buy into the world's way of thinking..."We have to make X amount of dollars or we won't make it."
A final thought:
Many women think "when my kids are grown, I'll return to the work force." But consider something, please! There is a huge need for Christian ministry today that in times past was done primarily by the women of the church. Helping the poor. Caring for the sick. Teaching young mothers & wives. "Being there" for young people who don't have Christian homes. The list goes on and on. Nowadays we hire "professionals" to do these things...because Christians are so busy pursuing worldly interests that they no longer have time to minister.
Baptists have a long standing emphasis on "the priesthood of the believer." If we really believe this doctrine, we need to practice it in very tangible ways. Being keepers of our homes, and ministering in the church are major ways women exercise these gifts!

 

What version of Bible text were the opening versus copied from?

 

Lil Sister,
You make a lot of good points, and I admire your perseverance.

However, I think there are numerous variables involved. My grandmother stayed home on the farm.
My mother worked in an office.
Quite often, the reasons we now say that women should stay home, such as more time with the kids, did not apply in my family, or in at least many families of that time.
My grandmother worked from sunup to sundown, hauling water, chopping wood, milking cows, plowing, gathering eggs, you name it.
She spent, as far as I can tell, about zero time doing many of the things we think are reasons now for women to stay home. But she did what she had to do, and she was a woman of great courage during innumerable trials.
My mother, also a great lady, like many women of her generation, went out to work partly because it was easier than staying on the farm. She worked VERY hard, indeed, but she worked less hours and under less hard conditions than the generation before her. She had LOTS MORE time for me and my siblings than if we had still been on the farm the way my grandparents had to struggle through.

Karen