"Passionate Housewives," pt 13

A Sacred Calling of Purpose and Victory, pt. 2

[Let me preface this next section by saying that because some of us may be married to non-believing husbands, there are biblical ideals that may not be necessarily attainable. It’s important to remember though, that this is not because God’s standards for living are impossible.  Instead, it is due to the fact that we live in a fallen world, tainted with sin…and sometimes we must deal with the consequences of our past decisions or the decisions of others close to us.  Either way, we must remember that God’s Word is still correct, relevant, and optimal…and we should do all we can to live accordingly.]

 …Even as a husband and wife undertake their dominion work together, they have different priorities.  In the family economy, God has ordained a distinct division of labor between a man and his bride.  Though a woman may bring extra income into the household by her various home-based offerings, the husband is to be the primary provider for the family. Through hard work (Genesis 3:19; Proverbs 28:19), and the avoidance of folly (Proverbs 13:18), he must ensure that his family’s needs are met.  Men who fail to do this are deemed as worse than unbelievers (1 Timothy 5:8).

In contrast, the wife’s primary role is that of mother and home-keeper.  She is to diligently attend to the affairs of their home (Proverbs 31:27), even as she bears (Genesis 3:15; Genesis 24:60; 1 Timothy 2:15) and cares (1 Samuel 1:23; Proverbs 31:21) for their children…

…In his letter to Titus [Paul says] young wives are to be exhorted to “be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God not be blasphemed” (Titus 2:4-5)

The text of the Scripture is straightforward and unequivocal: a woman’s duties are to be home-centered, and if we spurn this directive we cause God’s Word to be blasphemed (Titus 2:5) and risk bringing reproach upon the Body of Christ (1 Timothy 5:14).  As families shrink and daycares flourish, we also see the breakdown of the family and the disintegration of the God-ordered home – yet too often we don’t recognize the connection.

[For further reference on this subject: http://www.gty.org/Resources/Study+Guides/40-0552_The-Fulfilled-Family?q=the+fulfilled+family ]