Mommy Wars: Are Homemakers More Holy?.
“Christian mother, you live in the freedom of Christ, which is freedom that leads to service (Galatians 5:13). Pray and discern what is best for you, what is best for your family and how you can best serve the Lord.” – Aubry Smith
Very well said. This article opened up my eyes to the reality that our present idea of a “stay-at-home-mom” doesn’t quite fit into the biblical concept of mothers being “keepers-of-the-home.” Now that I think about it, how could I even think of comparing myself to a New Testament mother when Mary, mother of Jesus became a mom at around 14 years of age (tradition tells us girls were married off during that time typically at around 13-14 years old) while I became a mom at 28. Girls at that time learned how to take care of a home by growing up at home in clans and tribes where women learned from each other, while I went to formal school and studied MassComm and Nursing with a businesswoman for a mom and only learned (clumsily, I might say) how to take care of my home when I got married after finishing both college degrees. They raised their children in large family communities while my kids and I spend our days inside our 1- bedroom flat and go to church for prayer meetings and divine worship service at least thrice a week. Thank God my husband’s office building is just right in front of our apartment so he gets to spend a lot of time at home too and even eats lunch with us. And so the whole idea that I was fulfilling my “Titus 2:5 calling” doesn’t seem so strong anymore. Nevertheless, I know that being a housewife and homeschooling our kids is what we feel to be the best choice for our family right now, but is definitely not the best thing for many other Christian families and I have come to truly accept and respect that.
I can identify with the author, since I have a low tolerance for stress, and having to balance a job and time for family is something I honestly cannot even begin to imagine. Truth be told, if God had not intervened and made it financially and situationally possible for me to be a housewife, we would probably never have kids, because I did not want to have children only to have another person actually raise them. In a sense, I couldn’t handle the thought of seeing my kids only at night and on weekends. It just ain’t me.
I admit that I had a “holier-than-thou” attitude, somehow convincing myself I was being a better Christian mom than others because I stayed at home, and for that, I am truly sorry. I guess part of that attitude was also a defense mechanism against those well-meaning family and friends who question my being a housewife and were telling me to my face how they thought I wasted my college degrees by choosing to take care of my home instead of earning money and building a career. I knew that belief was somehow not quite right; I know many Christian mothers who work and In my heart I really didn’t believe I was actually better than them. This article helped me understand why.
Jesus set us free, and we should not let anyone’s opinions snatch that freedom from us. We are free to serve God the best way we see fit, and as long as it is out of love and is aligned with the Word of God, then we should’t make traditions, opinions and such become a bondage in our lives.
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” – Galatians 5:1
I am a Christian mother who is a stay-at-home mom and we as a homeschooling family do our best to honor God this way. I praise God for his provision for making us capable of this family set-up and I pray others will also find what’s best for them and what is God’s way. Let us be free to love and serve God the best way we can.