Women working outside the home

[SweetCharity]

What are your thoughts on women working outside the home? What do you think the Bible says on this? Is it alright for a woman to work outside the home before her and her husband have children?

I want to be a SAHM once we have children, I know this for sure! I've been home since we got married 2 months ago and I am beyond bored :zzzz There simply is not enough to do with just the two of us to keep me busy all day every day. I am thinking about getting a job outside of the home until we have children (and we both agreed if I do it'll all go to savings or student loans so we don't get used to living off of two incomes, then jump down to one when have kids). What does the Bible say on this?

[HappyChristian]

The Bible says that women are to be keepers at home. It doesn't say that women are to never go anywhere or do anything. In fact, the Prov. 31 woman obviously did things outside of her home (you can't consider and buy a field if you don't venture out :Green ), bringing money in to the coffers.

Any decision on whether a woman is to work or not actually needs to be made between that woman and her husband. The woman is to be a helpmeet to her husband, and there will be times in many people's lives (not everyone) where the wife will need to bring in $$ in some way to help her husband. That could be done from the home or outside, again depending on the husband.

Personally, I wouldn't see anything wrong with the way you and your hubby have been thinking. But I will caution you - working outside the home isn't that great! I would say, if you don't need the $$, stay home! Maybe you could volunteer at your library or somewhere in your community; help out in some area at your church. I think you would be better fulfilled that way. A job outside the home demands energy that women don't always have, and unless it's absolutely necessary, not always the wisest choice.

[dwayner79]

Paying off the debts you have with that money is a GREAT idea.... IMO :thumb

[HappyChristian]

Paying off the debts you have with that money is a GREAT idea.... IMO :thumb

Right, Dwayne, and this is where being a helpmeet to a woman's hubby would come into play. I know people who say absolutely never should a woman work outside the home. I don't believe that's what the Bible means, though, else Lydia was sinning when she sold purple.

[SweetCharity]

Thanks everyone. I've been confused because some people I know think it's absolutely horrible for a woman to ever work outside the home and think a daughter should stay at home (no college) until she's married. They already look at me as a horrible Christian for going to college and I wanted to make sure it is Biblical for a woman to work outside the home while taking care of her family.. My husband and I both think it would be useful for me to get a job and use that money solely for paying off our student loans quicker (1/2 of my paycheck would go towards the student loans, in addition to the minimum monthly payments that he makes out of his paycheck) and creating a savings (both for emergencies and our future home). I had an office job right out of college for a few months before I got married which wasn't demanding at all (of course I lived at home which helped) and that's what I'd look for again. Being that we are both fresh out of college, we don't have our own home yet and live in a small 2 bedroom apartment that doesn't take any time at all to deep clean top to bottom, my husband and our cat just aren't that messy . Plus I'm such a busy body that I hate being idle and bored all day.

[JerryNumbers]

You've had some good answers.

I believe the ideal Christian home would have the wife staying at home.

I know and realize that few Christian home are conformed in this manner, mostly because to many of us have to many wants and it takes 2 income to supply such wants that most married couples have.

I might add, hospitals are a wonderful place to volunteer too, also many schools ask for volunteers to help the children in their reading. I know they have had such a program set up at our local schools, might be worth checking out.

If you get a job and do not use that money to live on, or that is buy things so that you've got to keep working just to pay the bills would be a very wise thing to do. Sad to sad most couples want do this, they go out the 1st thing and buy stuff on credit them they always have to have those 2 incomes, even after their child comes, as soon as the mother can she has to get back to the job to keep that income coming in.

I might add, in the 60's we had Mennonites move into our part of the country. When they 1st got here you would never see the Mennonite women working except for at or around their home. Now several of the Mennonites have lawn mowing services, its a common sight to see the Mennonites women in their long dresses on riding lawnmowers mowing yards around cemeteries or even running weedeaters. At one cemetery they mow which is about a mile towards town from my house, when they are mowing it, its common to see the several women along with their children out there manicuring the cemetery grass.

So women working is creeping in everywhere it seems.

[Guest Guest]

I just got married 2 months ago too!!! :thumb

So far I've been a stay-at-home wife this whole time and I love it. It gives me time to keep up with the chores and make meals for my husband. As the Lord provides, I really hope it stays this way.

If it's alright with your husband for you to have a job, then it's no one else's business. :2cents

[HappyChristian]

If it's alright with your husband for you to have a job, then it's no one else's business. :2cents

Succinct and true!!! :thumb

[chev1958]

Minor point, but I'm just evil enough to point it out :cooldude: : There's no such word in the KJV as "helpmeet." Helpmeet is not a noun. Help is the noun, and meet is the KJV word for the adjective "suitable." From the American Heritage dictionary: helpmate [From misunderstanding of the phrase "an help meet for him," a helper suitable for him (Adam), in Genesis 2:18, referring to Eve.]

[HappyChristian]

Minor point' date=' but I'm just evil enough to point it out :cooldude: : There's no such word in the KJV as "helpmeet." Helpmeet is not a noun. Help is the noun, and meet is the KJV word for the adjective "suitable." From the American Heritage dictionary: helpmate [From misunderstanding of the phrase "an help meet for him," a helper suitable for him (Adam), in Genesis 2:18, referring to Eve.']

Ah well, you know the idea is the same... (and please note, I never said helpmeet was in the Bible! :thumb )

[chev1958]

True, and my pointing out such "words" is a flaw I have that I just can't get rid of. My wife groans when I mention such things. It's like an itch you can't reach. :ooops

[Kayla]

Minor point' date=' but I'm just evil enough to point it out :cooldude: : There's no such word in the KJV as "helpmeet." Helpmeet is not a noun. Help is the noun, and meet is the KJV word for the adjective "suitable." From the American Heritage dictionary: helpmate [From misunderstanding of the phrase "an help meet for him," a helper suitable for him (Adam), in Genesis 2:18, referring to Eve.']

I tell my roommates this all the time, they always start groaning at me when I pull out my pocket dictionary. I always examine what they say, it's a habit. I believe we should be wise with what we say as Christians. IMHO.

[HappyChristian]

True' date=' and my pointing out such "words" is a flaw I have that I just can't get rid of. My wife groans when I mention such things. It's like an itch you can't reach. :ooops[/quote']


Oh, believe me, Mitch, I understand!!! I do the same thing. It's just that "helpmeet" has become such a part of the American vernacular that I don't even think about it anymore. Thanks - maybe I'll be aware of it more. :Green

[chev1958]

Back to the topic at hand: We are now empty-nesters, and my wife suggested that she get a job so I could devote more time to pastoring. We're taking it a step at a time, but by her taking a job, I was able to take a lesser-paying job in our hometown, thus reducing our fuel expenses by 75 percent! Plus, I'm not as tired from that hour-long commute, so I can devote more time to door-knocking and study.

Because our church is so small in terms of membership and financial support, we're going to need the extra money to help pay church bills for a little while, until the Lord provides some new tithing members to us.

[JerryNumbers]

We just had the one daughter, but up till graduation of high school it was very common for us to have 10 or more girls in the small house we had during those days, about 926 square feet.

It was a shock when Jerri Lynn got married and we were home alone, that little house seemed so big and lonely with just the 2 of us.

But we have been empty nester so long now we are already old and set in our ways and it might be a grand shock for us to have someone in the house with us.

Last summer one of our nephews daughter spend a few days with us, she is about 10 years of age, we enjoyed having her around here, brought back some precious memories having her with us. We're hoping she will do the same this summer.