Workers of the Home

We're working through "The Wise Woman Builds Her House" again this summer. What a joy to study with these women of Four Oaks. As we study Paul's very deliberate commands to the women in the local church in Titus 2:3-5, we've zeroed in on the call for the older women (whose behavior is that of a priest in the home) to train the women in good sound doctrine and sound biblical thinking. The women are to be "workers of the home". The women were asked to carefully compare Proverbs 31 with Titus 2:3-5 and write a paragraph or two describing this "priestess in God's house", using both passages (Proverbs and Titus), as well as the things learned during the study that have shaped our thinking about our calling to the home.
As usual, the responses were terrific. I asked the women to email their paragraphs to me so I could post them here.

Tamzen Baker sent the first offering:
"The “worker” is deliberate, purposeful and mindful in her undertaking. She does not simply make sure things get done, family is fed, children are to bed. She is gracious in the way she acts, kindness and grace flow from her. She is thoughtful in her actions. She does well in the deeds, but is not too concerned with the outcome to not consider and serve the greater things (like Martha and Mary.) She does not trivialize her work, her family, her standing. It is her faithful action with an air of grace and dignity that forms her character and her reputation. These things reflect on her husband who is honored because of her, and they bless her household, causing her children to rise up and bless her. She is not a woman of extremes or run by fears, she guards, she protects, she is steady, she is sensible. She honors the word of God in her moral deeds as well as her diligent deeds. I don’t believe the woman of God, the worker at home, the proverbs 31 woman is a perfectionist causing stress and strife over things not done as well as the next magazine mom, but she does well to the ways of her household, she makes things special, she cares for the bodies and souls of those who are entrusted to her and trusts the One who has given her part in that stewardship."

I'll post more as I receive them!