Why women should/ should not work outside the home

[Thinkingstuff]

What are you're thoughts?

Paul you are allowed with in the confines of the rules of the BB to attempt to derail this thread.

 

[preachinjesus]

My wife works and has a career.

She is really good at what she does. Why/how could anyone suggest her place is just the home? It's a both/and for us...we both work in and out of our home.

I find no biblical evidence to suggest that we can push an ecclesial qualification far into our society at large. Though I've heard terrible arguments that we can.

 

[Johnv]

There's no scriptural admonition against women having a career. There's only a scriptural admonition of women not putting the home first. HOW she puts the home first is completely between her and her husband. Our home and marriage is much more strengthened by the fact that we are both contributing with our careers to the home. But I also know that I need to support her in her keeping of our home.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Women Working Outside the Home

There was a request in another thread that one be started on whether women should work outside the home or not. Women working in the home is much more a cultural idea than a scriptural one. We must remember what constitutes work. Much that would have been work in Biblical times is not necessary, i.e. turn on the faucet for water versus carrying water ... so we cannot limit this to the modern conception of work. Let's see:

Ruth worked in the wheat, I guess it was wheat, fields.
Rebecca carried water. [If you do not believe his is work, try it]
Lydia was a worker, she was a dealer of purple cloth. In other words a profession.

Just three examples of women outside the home working. I am sure there are more.

There was almost no opportunity for "work" as we understand work today ... even for men in the OT.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

I think there is a lot case by case senario's that can't all be covered here however, I look a this passage of scripture as a template of what responsibilities the wife is to have and how she is to act. However consider the context of the Passage of when it was written and what were the cultural standards of the time.

10 [c] A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

29 "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Lydia was a seller of purple cloth. Purple cloth was very expensive, so she must have been quite rich.

 

[Johnv]

I need to have a chat with my wife. She doesn't have any experience with wool and flax. Oh, the heathen she must be! :wavey:

 

[Johnv]

My wife will tell you that taking care of me is a fulltime job! :wavey:

 

[Thinkingstuff]

certainly in the passage I quoted there is a sence of value added to income making ability...

 

[Thinkingstuff]

My wife will tell you that taking care of me is a fulltime job! :wavey:

As it should be. And Very proper it is!!!!!!

 

[Tom Bryant]

The Proverbs 31 woman bought and sold fields (31:16). She makes and sells clothing to merchants (31:24) I think that qualifies as work.

 

[Tom Butler]

The "virtuous woman" in Proverbs 31 was a businesswoman who took care of things at home, as well. Her husband and children blessed her (and well they should).

 

[Tom Bryant]

My bride stopped working outside the home for the first time in our married life last year. She wanted to spend more time serving at church for free. We made less money this last year, but we will get more back from the IRS... so even in not working she made money! :tongue3:

 

[Trotter]

My wife left the work force several years ago. This was a major blessing for her as it allowed her to help care for her grandmother during the last years of her life.

Now, due to the economic downturn and me being laid off she has gone back to work. We would both rather her be home, but her years of office and accounting experience open up a lot more opportunity than my years as a forklift driver right now.

 

[mcdirector]

I've been a stay at home mom, I've worked full time and part time. They both have their advantages. They both have their hardships.

There are more reasons to work than making money. There are more reasons to stay at home than to take care of the fam in a more intense way.

That Proverbs 31 woman is difficult to live up to

 

[annsni]

There are two threads on this. I'll ask a mod if they can combine them.

 

[annsni]

I think a woman's primary responsibility is to be a "keeper at home" (Titus 2) but that doesn't mean she can't work too. However, it needs to be a decision made by the husband and wife together. As I posted elsewhere, I work both in and out of the home for our church and work about 10-15 hours a week, depending on what's going on. But it does not interfere with anything at home since I'm able to keep my children with me, I still take care of the home and such. My husband and children support me working - especially since basically my income buys the food. LOL

But if a woman is working outside of the house and the home is suffering, she is going to be held accountable by God for what she did not do for her family and home. I've seen it before in some women but then I've seen others who work and home is great. It's really an individual thing.

I have to say, if I didn't work at the church, I most likely wouldn't be working.

 

[Zenas]

There are no scriptural limitations to women working outside the home but there needs to be some common sense limitations. My daughter is a partner in a large (500+ attorneys) law firm. Her husband, my son in law, has a management level position in a Fortune 100 company. They both work about 60 hours a week, often late into the night. Therefore, our grandchildren see a lot less of their parents than they should and I fear this is going to harm their development in the long run.

So when you speak of women working outside the home, be sure this arrangement is handled so that at least one parent has time to spend with the children.

 

[mcdirector]

So when you speak of women working outside the home, be sure this arrangement is handled so that at least one parent has time to spend with the children.

Well! A big amen to that!

 

[Johnv]

So when you speak of women working outside the home, be sure this arrangement is handled so that at least one parent has time to spend with the children.

This is a big rule. WHen my children were little, this is what we did. I worked during the week, and she worked on the evenings in the weekends.