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BORED AT HOME? NEVER!!
By Angela Y. Holloway
Spirit of a Woman
“There is no such thing
as a NON-working mother.”
-Hester Mundis
The word home bears great
significance and value in our world. It is a universal term
used to describe a place of comfort, familiarity, stability,
security, happiness, and socialization. God established a
home for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:8,
“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden;
and there he put the man whom he had formed.” This home
provided all of the necessary sustenance for human
survival. This home surpassed Adam and Eve's essential
needs. God's presence and spiritual relationship reigned in
their home and as a result of this, they were blessed. God
performed the fairytale wedding of a lifetime in this home.
In Genesis 2:24:25, the Bible teaches, “Therefore
shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall
cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they
were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
There were many events, which transpired in their home.
Several examples in God's word illustrates how we are to
behave in the home by extending hospitality, showing love,
concern, and providing comfort and care for one another.
I described
the home as a physical dwelling place that inhabits
characteristics and responsibilities. But when we talk
about a place of love, security and happiness; we must
mention the imperativeness of God's presence and
leadership. A home can only stand if the foundation has
been laid properly. In Matthew 7:26-27, the Bible
reads, “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man,
which built his house upon the sand: And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat
upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
There must be a binding agent that solidifies the
foundation in order for the home to stand and not collapse
at the mere disagreement of a "what's for dinner"
conversation. Now Christ also tells us how to build our
home in Matthew 7:24-25. The Bible reads, “Therefore
whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I
will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a
rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for
it was founded upon a rock.” Who is the Rock?
Christ is the Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4). The
foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11),
and the home will stand as long as we are obedient to His
word.
So
far, we can see that there are several spiritual principles,
which comprise a home. We also see that there is plenty of
work to do in our home if we want to be pleasing to God in
our service. You may ask yourself the question, "Bored at
home?" I never find myself bored at home. There are so
many godly responsibilities to my husband, daughter, and
caring for the dwelling place in which we reside.
It
is a matter of impossibility for a Christian to actively
carry out their responsibilities as a Christian, and say, “I
have nothing to do!” Christians are commanded to worship
God (Matthew 4:10). As Christians, we are to edify
and provoke one another unto love and good works (Romans
14:19 and Hebrews 10:25). Christians are to
evangelize the lost by telling others about Christ (Acts
8:26-40). Christians must also do good to all men,
especially those of the household of faith (Galatians
6:10).
God has
given women an awesome responsibility in this world.
Childbearing is the greatest one of all (1 Timothy 2:15).
As we can see he used Mary to bear His son and our Savior
Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:18-25). God loves us in a
very special way, and we should honor and respect His
unconditional compassion for us. Being a mother is the most
difficult responsibility for a woman. The mother’s soul is
exposed to caring and protecting her child. She is
uninhibited in her ambitions to give the family all of her
untiring love and gentle care. In Proverbs 31:15,
the Bible reads, “She riseth also while it is yet
night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to
her maidens.” The virtuous woman truly possessed the
attributes of a godly wife and mother. We also learn other
ways to increase the solidity of our foundation in Christ
through prayer. This is a great quote from Erica Jong,
b. 1942, from: Fear of Fifty, “Motherhood is an
acquired taste. You learn it humbled on your knees.”
Yes, on your knees! Praying is one of the key factors
in having a successful home. Christians are commanded to
pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We must
pray, and this does require effort. When I gave birth to my
daughter, I was up all hours of the night, up and down; you
know the broken record. I would thank God Almighty each
time He awakened me out of sleep. Why? Well, why not? I
knew it was God's love and strength that helped me to
accomplish the most vital responsibilities in caring for my
home. My first thoughts of my day are “Thank you Lord for
blessing my family and I to see another day in good health”
(Psalms 118:24).
“It
will be gone before you know it. The fingerprints on the
wall appear higher and higher. Then suddenly they
disappear.”
-Dorothy Evslin
My husband
and I discussed our home life before we were married. We
were on one accord with this scripture, and it has been a
blessing in our lives. “To be discreet, chaste, keepers
at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word
of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:5). I
have to submit to my husband, like I submit to God (Ephesians
5:22). Also, in 1 Peter 3:5:6, the Bible
teaches, “For after this manner in the old time the holy
women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in
subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed
Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long
as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.”
These are God's commandments, and you may ask why? We
learn in 1 Timothy 2:13 that “…Adam was first
formed, then Eve.” I greatly admire my husband’s
abilities in the Lord. His faith has increased my faith,
and I cannot ask for a more supportive, loving, and safe
environment he provides for our family. Being at home with
the way the economy is today is a great financial
sacrifice.
It takes
prayer, faithfulness to God’s word, discipline, and
temperance to meet the demands of the family. It is not
always “peaches and cream”, but the rewards are great, and
the spiritual blessings are innumerable.
“Many kudos to the faithful brethren, and working fathers.”
-Angela
Y. Holloway
“A faithful
man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to
be rich shall not be innocent.”
-Proverbs 28:10
In keeping
the home, we must fulfill this responsibility by first
recognizing what God is commanding us to do. Who is our
home? Our husband, children, dwelling and other things that
are needed to stay organized and functional. The world has
a different point of view in the order of the home. We know
this is not the acceptable ideology of a Christian. I have
read several articles on "Work and Family", when both
parents are working outside of the home, and the children
are either left alone or in the hands of daycare providers,
babysitters, friends, family or anyone who is willing to
change a diaper for $125.00 a week. This can create a void
in the family unit. These articles embrace the idea of
leaving a child with a stranger and paying them handsomely
for their duty. These articles also offer “tidbits” on how
to cope with the guilt of not being there for the family.
As Christians, we should not have the feeling of guilt
because of what Jesus said in John 14:1, “Let
not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also
in me”. Now there are circumstances where the mother is
left with no choice other than to be the sole provider for
her children. There are several situations that demand the
mother leave and work outside of the home. However, my
direction of this article is not to circumvent all of those
cases, but it is to provide the evidence and support of
God's thinking in how important our role is as a wife and/or
mother. In my 9-½ years of corporate experience, I have
engaged in several conversations with women who simply feel
that "stay-at-home moms" are a symbol of weakness, laziness,
and incompetence. In a nutshell, the responsibilities of
caring for the home and family are boring. On the contrary,
a “stay-at-home mom” is one of the most arduous tasks for a
woman. All of these misnomers should not apply to
Christians who are persevering in the work of the Lord for
her family.
I enjoyed
my years in Corporate America, but now I am euphoric about
being a wife and mother. We are blessed as women and were
created to perform as a help fit for our husbands (Genesis
2:18). The two-income home today is viewed not as
essential for financial means, but as a necessity for
personal monetary gain. However, we must remember to “Love
not the world, neither the things that are in the world”
(1 John 2:15). There is nothing wrong with
having riches, just as long as the word of God is not
compromised as a result. Mothers have completely abated the
idea of caring for the home and family full-time. Being an
“at-home” mom is a full-time job and then some. The pure
essence of our children in this society has suffered as a
result of families deviating from the promising values they
were once taught. There is violence in the classrooms from
children as young as 6 years of age. Mothers murdering
their own children for selfish reasons; young boys and men
impregnating young girls and women apart and separate from
the matrimony of marriage. Fornication is used as a
criterion in choosing a spouse. Unnatural affections from
parents are responsible for low self-esteem in our youth.
People are truly living out the latter days as perilous
times (2 Timothy 3:1-7).
“One
hour with a child is like a ten-mile run.”
-Joan Benoit Samuelson, New York Times,
1991
I had a
conversation with a "career" woman about staying at home
with her children who were both in daycare. The expenses
were astounding; nearing $1,000/month and this did not
include the expenses of the children's food and diapers. My
mouth nearly dropped. She paid complete strangers a
mortgage payment so they could provide care and artificial
love to her children; the same care she and her husband were
responsible for. No one can replace the loving interaction
that creates a special bond and sense of connection all
families need. At times, what needs to be done seems
unbearable, for it is a tough task, but Philippians 4:13
is truly the comfort I need to get regenerated.
Please do
not misinterpret my example to mean that you should stay
home with your children because of daycare expenses. No,
this is not my point. My illustration is to provide insight
as to why all women should desire to be there for their
families because they need their mothers. Also, they need
to see and learn the way God initially established the
home. God made Adam. He gave him work in tilling the
ground and naming the animals (Genesis 2:15-20).
After man had established his place of residency and was
able to provide sustenance for his family, God made him a
woman.
If
we give credence to God's word, then we will be blessed (Matthew
6:33). As an “at-home” mother, I realize the importance
of my role as a child of God, wife, and mother. I am proud,
ardent and honored that God gave me this caliber of work to
do on earth. The essence of this article is to guard your
home with love and diligence and God will satisfy the rest!
This
article is also designed to encourage the saints to take
introspection, and help us to realize that although we exist
in the traditional ways of the world, we are not of this
world. God has a greater purpose for us, and we must hold
fast to the profession of our faith, otherwise we run this
race in vain. We have many prominent women in our society
who accomplish great goals, and establish new and better
ways of living. However, in all of this greatness, there is
NOTHING greater than God's word, being a wife, and the joy
of motherhood. I hope you gained more insight and
encouragement from this article. In writing this, I was
convicted to be better in my Christian walk. It is my hope
and prayer that this information will bless your life in the
same manner.
Visit Angela's website -
Spirit of a Woman
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article is copyrighted by the author. All Rights Reserved. No part
of this article may be reprinted without permission of the author.
©Copyright 2004
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