Last time I talked about what we can do as women to extend the kingdom at home. Now I want to add to that...
I didn't want my article to get stuck in the "good home-schooled girl" trend so I decided to write a second part.
What is the "good home-schooled girl" trend? Well it's this old trend among home-schoolers that a good Christian girl is measured by how much she does at home. But the truth is this, we're here on earth to live more like Christ not like the perfect house wife. We're here to conform to the image of Christ not to the standards of the Christians around us.
Here's what I'm trying to say, it is possible to spread the Kingdom and do the work that a woman should do away from her home. For instance, she could go on a mission trip to Loas, or several sisters could open up a alteration business in the square, or even work at a Chick-fil-a, (your options aren't limited to this they're just examples).
So many times we're surrounded by these standards and rules that men set, that we seem to forget what we were actually created for. To serve God to the best of our ability. Often times when you surround a person with standards that you expect them to reach you drown that person instead of encouraging them onward.
To serve God with the best of our ability means we each serve him in a different way. Some young women are called to start businesses at home, while others are called to take dominion of jobs that already exist. Some women are called to work with their fathers while others are called to travel the world.
"Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers or miracles?" 1 Cor 12:29
We are all called to serve God in a unique way. Don't despise a woman who works outside home, on the other hand don't despise a woman who works from home. Either choice does not make you more or less woman. "For the body is one, and hath many members..." (Rom 12:1)
Now I have to write a disclaimer here, if your father wants you to stay at home, than it would be a sin to do otherwise. Why? You know why, because the Bible, God's inspired word tells us to honor and obey our parents. And on the other hand if your father wants you to go out and get a job, (depending on the job) you should go out and get a job.
The standards we've placed are not only unnecessary but on top of that they confuse new Christians. We tell them that they're supposed to rise to these standards and anything else is practically a sin, but they don't find that in the Bible.
This is a topic that very few people are willing to address. But it needs to be.
I'm afraid that the majority of Christians are starting to hang on one hand or the other. They either don't want to stay at home because that's so pathetic and they despise any girl who doesn't have a college degree; or they hate being out and about because that's the men's world and despise anyone who doesn't know how to do laundry or clean the bathroom in five minutes.
Ok let's just think about this for a minute, how long does it take to learn how to clean a bathroom? Not long. How useful is a college degree? If used correctly very useful. But how much can you do without a college degree? A lot.
So let me get this straight. Everything that we're focused on, isn't getting us anywhere? Because if those to girls are strong Christians I bet they both have what's really important.
Yeah, like what?
Well I bet they both know how precious His word is. I bet they can quote parts not because they memorized it but because they've read it over and over. I bet they understand the power of prayer. I bet they spread his gospel and take dominion wherever they go, whether it's a sibling's temper, the dirty bathroom, or a long list of jobs to complete and a computer to fix.
If we're both doing what the Bible commands than why are these extra-Biblical standards so important? Why have they grown to be a barrier between people.
"Oh you wear pants so I can't talk to you." "Oh she's one of those creepy-jean-skirt-wearing-home-schoolers, I'm not going to talk to her."
Seriously girls? Life is way to short to haggle over silly, unimportant differences like that. The church was meant to be a body it was meant to work like one.
The reason Christianity has spread so far and gone so long is because we're like a giant army or a nation that covers the globe. We're supposed to be a people that helps one another, a nation set apart to God, people that work together. So why are we haggling over whether leggings are appropriate or jobs for women correct? Come on guys that creates gaps not bridges! It creates enemies not friends! If we're so busy fighting among ourselves how can we fight the true enemy?
Another disclaimer here, I'm not saying to give up your beliefs and conform, just talk about what you have in common people! Jesus Christ our Savior! If Christ was willing to die for them then don't you thing we can at least be friends? I mean I'm not even asking you to lay your lives down for each other, but yet Christians in the past have done that too.
The standards kill "...for the letter (of the law) killeth, but the spirit (of the law (Rom 7:6) giveth life." (2 Cor 3:6) but the salvation of Christ gives life!
We are commanded to shine forth Christ, "...and the salvation of Christ Jesus will do that more than any standards or rules of men will ever do." -Anthony Courter-
Build relationships not enemies, build cities not walls, fortifications against the enemy and not friends, bind yourself to Christ and the church and you will find strength.
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