Keepers at Home Questions and Answers 3

                               

                                    

                                        (All photos by Egal from Allposters.com)

With these final questions I will refute the misguided opinions which say that being a keeper at home, a homemaker, means you can't participate in any kind of business, you can't go anywhere away from the house, and you can't earn any money at all.

Question 4:

If you go outside the  home for commercial or social reasons, how can you really be a homemaker? Don't you have to be in the home to be a keeper at home?

                                          

Answer:

 The question seems to assume that if a woman is home and not out  working for a wage, she should only be home.  That makes about as much sense as saying a woman who works in a shop and calls herself a career women should always be engaged in her career and never be allowed to come home--she must stay in her shop and not be a hypocrite by being home and doing housework on weekends.  If a college student were told he must never leave the campus or participate in life of the local town, he would know you were being ridiculous.  

The purpose of being at home full time is not to avoid participating in normal commerce, but to be in charge of the family commerce and guard and guide the inner workings of the home.The lady of the house must of necessity interact with businesses. It is a fact that many things are marketed with the homemaker in mind, because she will often be  the one who makes decisions about what kind of washer, sink, floor, window, and household furnishings will be purchased. Even cars are made and marketed to women because of the amount of time they must spend in the car.

A shop girl puts in most of her week at the shop, but at the end of the day she has to go home and pay attention to the laundry and meals and upkeep.  No one would be so silly as to suggest that she never spend time at home, just because she is out working most of the time.  

Homemakers are well educated and aware of the market. Many of them sell the products of their own hands, but it doesn't mean they have to put aside their home responsibilities and put their business first.  

All the homemakers I know have their own car and money and are able to make wise decisions about where to go and when.  When I was a child, my mother would take us to town regularly for essential shopping. This was back in the 1950's and no one would have thought it was being inconsistent with the woman's care of the home.  Social life consisted  of other homemakers occasionally dropping by for a taste of pie.

Question: Are women who stay home avoiding work and responsibility?

Answer:  as in everything, there will always be those people who misuse their freedom. Yes, there will always be those who do not use their time wisely and those who refuse to keep house properly. That is one reason for Titus 2 and other instructions to Christian women.  The older women are supposed to teach the younger women how to manage their homes, be good helpmeets, and nurture children in The Lord.  Those who grow up in Christian homes will be so well taught it will become second-nature to them. Others will have to learn for themselves and be taught by the older women.  It is always disappointing when you see women of any age being irresponsible even if she is staying home, but everyone has the opportunity to study and learn.

Question: What about when her children are grown and gone?

Answer: There will never be enough time to do all there is to do at home, and just because the children are grown does not mean she will be totally free from them.  They will continue to interact and she will still find many things to do for them.  I know ladies who make clothes for their children and grandchildren and who participate in their special events.  Even without children and grandchildren, ladies find that caring for a home is a full time job.

Question: Why is a job outside the home forbidden to a woman but not doing business in town?

Answer:  Nothing is specifically "forbidden" to a homemaker. She is free to use her own intelligence and good judgement to determine just how much she can take on, and to set her own limits.  In the Bible, some commands are specific (detailed) and others are generic (in general.). When Noah was told to build the ark, he was given the measurements and told the type of wood to use.  God did not make a long list of wood that was forbidden. He didn't have to say " don't use spruce, birch or cedar" because the fact he said "acacia" automatically eliminated all other types of wood.  

In the parts of the Bible that address Christian women, it specifies things like taking care of husband, children and keeping house.  It doesn't have to list a thousand and one things a woman should not be spending her time on outside the home.  Women who want to please The Lord and have a stable home life will not need a long list of forbidden things, because the specific things laid out for them in scripture will automatically eliminate other full-time jobs. The scriptures that teach the Christian men to provide for the family and teach them about The Lord do not have to include a long list of things the man should not be doing, because a man who truly wants to do what is right will be able to see by the simple commands of what to DO automatically eliminate many other harmful things.

Although nothing is "forbidden" we are supposed to teach younger women about the home, so that they will be trained to do it.  When people have a strong desire to do, or not do something, you don't have to tell them it is off limits or forbidden. Homemakers do not look at outside careers as something forbidden, but they look at homemaking as something obedient and pleasing to God, and something unselfish that benefits everyone. The Christian woman as a keeper at home is a voluntary act of love, based upon their understanding of the scriptures as the will of God, and not a result of rules or restrictions.