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THE EXCELLENT WIFE AT WORK

Chapter Theme

In spite of what society claims, the Bible clearly states that women are to be “workers at home” so they can fulfill God’s design for them and their families.

Icebreakers

• If you are a worker at home, how would you answer those who claim you are hindering your potential by not pursuing a career or some job outside the home?

• Economic hardship faces many Christian couples who are committed to the biblical pattern for the family. What are some avenues you might pursue that could bring in extra income yet allow the wife to be a “worker at home”?

Group Discovery Questions

1. What events helped create an environment in the United States conducive to the growth of the traditional family?

2. What factors led to the fall of the traditional family of the ’50s?

3. What was expected of wives in the first century?

4. Explain why a woman’s responsibility is the home.

5. Name some of the problems families face when the wife goes to work outside the home.

6. What ought to be the overriding concern in any plans for the wife to work outside the home?

7. What characteristics should men look for in a wife?

8. Describe the selfless love of the Proverbs 31 woman for her husband.

9. What types of business abilities must a wife combine if she desires to pattern her life after the Proverbs 31 woman?

10. What activities of the Proverbs 31 woman reveal her motivation and self-discipline?

11. What was the legacy of the Proverbs 31 woman?

Personal Application Questions

1. If you are a mother who works outside the home, analyze why you are working. By the time you deduct taxes, child care costs, clothing, and transportation expenses, how much extra income are you actually providing? Set aside time with your husband to honestly evaluate your present circumstances. Are there some sacrifices you both could make or some other means by which you could remain at home yet contribute to the financial needs of your family?

2. If you are a mother who is staying at home with your children, are you taking advantage of your opportunity to shape their lives for godly living? Or is your time spent unproductively with television programs that might be tearing down the very principles you are trying to instill into your family’s life? Make sure every day has spiritual input so your children begin looking at life from God’s perspective. Prepare them for society’s secular influence by teaching godly values (Prov. 22:6; 2 Tim. 3:15).

Focus on Prayer

Anything you decide to do regarding your family’s financial picture ought to be bathed in prayer. Ask God to clarify in your heart the wisdom from His Word regarding this topic. Allow Him to guide you in these vital decisions. But be sure you are willing to make sacrifices if He leads you in that direction.

Assignment

Meditate as a family on Colossians 3:12–21, using those verses as a guideline for a devotional time together. Determine which qualities mentioned in the passage are lacking or weak in your family. Confess to one another the wrong attitudes and actions each has been exhibiting. After you choose an area you need to concentrate on, pray for one another that each may be strengthened to live the quality of life that glorifies Christ.