Motherhood as a Career by Barbara Rainey
Titus 2:4,5That they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored.
Our society often sends the wrong signals to mothers. It tells moms they are dispensable. It tells us that all mothers need to do is provide maid service, shuttle service and offer purchasing advice; that real mothering can be done by trained caretakers.
I believe Christian mothers need to think critically about these cultural messages and challenge them. More moms need to make a career of busying themselves at home, and investing in their husbands and the next generation.
I realize there are many reasons for mothers to have full-time or part-time jobs. But I also know some couples need to look critically at whether this is for survival, for personal fulfillment or simply to maintain a higher standard of living. If a couple feels it's necessary for Mom to work outside the home, some crucial questions should be addressed.
A Christian mother should ask whether her husband is in total agreement with this decision. The two-career marriage may solve financial difficulties, but it creates others because many needs of the family will not receive full attention.
Another good question is: If extra income is essential, can it be earned on a flexible time frame, or by working at home? A woman in my church was able to develop a part-time photography business out of her home. She was always sure that whenever she had appointments she could leave her little boy with her husband or a friend.
A career speaks of total commitment and full-time focus. No commitment or focus is more worthy of being a career than mothering the children you bring into the world.
Prayer:
That God will guide you to make decisions about career and family that reflect the priority that rearing children should have in a Christian home.
Discuss: What are some prices children sometimes pay for both parents working outside the home?