Homemaking -- an Honorable Role

Where do you work?

The question may be a simple one, but some women dread to answer it. Why? They are among those who have chosen to be full-time homemakers.

But these individuals need not be embarrassed. God has blessed motherhood and the raising of children from the very beginning of time. A woman can fill no greater role than preparing the next generation for life's responsibilities. The future of any nation rests in the laps of its mothers.

Regrettably, society in general has rejected the Bible as its moral authority. As a result, homemaking and motherhood are undervalued. Feminists would have us believe that women need to be "freed" from some imaginary trap called motherhood. Television and the mass media have done much to destroy Biblical family values and make motherhood appear drab or even selfish.

Some mothers choose to pursue glamorous careers. Others say they must work to make ends meet. For whatever reason, having a job is considered both necessary and normal. Day-care centers have sprung up to provide for children of working mothers. But increasing juvenile delinquency, violence, crime, and disrespect for authority prove that something is wrong. Humanity apparently has fallen victim to its own philosophy regarding the home and family. Society's very foundations appear to be crumbling.

Yet there is hope. The Bible outlines a successful plan.

First, God designed marriage as a pure and holy way to bring children into this world (Genesis 1:28). Today selfishness leads many couples to postpone or avoid altogether the responsibility of having children in order to follow their own material interests and pleasures. But those things are only temporal. Children are eternal souls, God's greatest gift to the home. "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD" (Psalm 127:3).

Second, God expects parents to raise their children in a disciplined manner (Ephesians 6:1-4). They need much more care and training than animals do. Their development occurs over a period of approximately twenty years. This places a serious responsibility on parents, one that is practically impossible to fulfill when both parents work full-time elsewhere.

Third, God expects family life to be homelife. If home is to be more than a "motel," someone must look after the details of homemaking.