Motherhood, again....

I was hanging out with two couples from my church about a week or so ago. As usual, within three minutes of our arrival, the women gathered in the kitchen and the men gathered in the living room. Are we made this way? Why do we do this? Anyway, a conversation begins, quite innocently, about another couple that was unable to attend our little get together. Our hostess furrowed her brow at the very mention of absent wife's name and proceeded to tell us why Absent Wife was a bad person.

Now, do not get me wrong. Absent Wife is a bad person, but then again, so am I, as is Hostess. None stand guiltless before the Lord. The cause of the burning in my chest was the attitude taken towards Absent Wife. Apparently, she has two small children and works outside the home. Even when her husband, hearing the chatter, called from the living room to say, "Honey, you're gossiping," she continued on in a hushed voice about how she doesn't respect her.

I'd like to flesh this out a bit more in a later post, but I could hear these word echoing in my mind:

God, I thank you that I'm not like other women, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like Absent Wife, who works outside the home and puts her children in day care....

I know that isn't how the verse goes (full passage here), but it's seriously what I felt she was basically saying. It's almost as if Hostess felt she was more blessed in Christ or more sanctified because she stays at home. Hostess cemented my perception when she finished her critique of the woman by saying, matter of factly, that she and Absent Wife "just have different worldviews," as if this woman's very salvation is tied up in whether her kids are put in daycare or not.

In the meantime, the woman is given no grace and offered no love (and no respect). We don't know why Absent Wife is working outside the home. We don't know her financial situation AND if indeed, we can prove that the Lord calls all women with children to stay home, why not sit that sister down and speak to her about what the Lord says instead of writing her off like some "nominal Christian"? (and what is a "nominal Christians" anyway?????)

With that said, here are some questions that I ponder on the regular. I invite all who read this to ponder and search the scriptures as well.

1. What does God say about mothers working outside the home?
2. Have most Christian woman fallen victim to feminist views on gender roles and careers?
3. What's the "modern" Christian woman to do in the face of SAHM who aren't feeling the Christian career woman/mother?