“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helpmeet suitable for him'” (Gen. 3:18).

As a necessary preface before entering this discussion, I must emphasize as a disclaimer that this discussion is not about earning salvation. I am a Calvinist at heart. I fully embrace the doctrine of election perhaps far more than my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. It may appear at times due to my strong beliefs of what makes for a flourishing family life and society that I have legalistic tendencies. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. It would be more understandable–due to my strong convictions of predestination and being saved by grace alone apart from works–to accuse me of antinomianism, which some have associated me with. But I am neither. I am a Christian who understands that I have contributed nothing to my salvation except for my sin. It is due to God’s free grace and sovereign election of me–due to nothing good in me or any work of my own–that I live in complete awe and gratitude and joy each day.

That being said, there is still nevertheless a biblical way to go about life. There are still consequences to ideas and actions. There are philosophies that lead to destruction and chaos, and philosophies that lead to joy and flourishing. The purpose of this essay is to discuss how an understanding (or denial) of biblical gender roles greatly affects women, men, children, marriage, family life, the church, and society as a whole.

My disclaimer is to prevent anyone from wrongly assuming that I believe that anything I admonish in this essay is required for salvation. No, you do not need to be a loving, supportive wife to be saved. No, you do not need to submit to your husband, homeschool your children, or dress a certain way to be saved. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Jesus was crucified in our place and said, “It is finished.” There is nothing we can add. That being stressed, our society is decaying and I adamantly believe it is greatly due to the suppression, or complete absolving, of biblical gender roles. I would like to make a case for how embracing our God-given roles only produces a joyful, healthy, flourishing life.

Our society looks much different than it did 100, 50, even 20 years ago. There are many factors for this, but I believe the number one contributing factor is the dominance of feminism via the Sexual Revolution and the Women’s Empowerment Movements. These movements are in complete contrast to the roles God has clearly laid out for men and women in Scripture. I have heard many arguments in support of women in authoritative positions, women in careers, women leaving their children in the care of others, women being dominating rather than submissive and respectful to their husbands, the “boss babe” mentality rather than embracing a gentle and quiet spirit–every single one of which were driven by emotion and sentiment, and not one backed up by Scripture. On the other hand, there is a plethora of Scripture passages running through the narrative of the Old and New Testaments that not only implies but explicitly commands women to be submissive, gentle, quiet, not in positions of authority, homemakers, and helpers suitable to their husbands. Here is a non-exhaustive list:

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helpmeet suitable for him'” (Gen. 3:18).

All of Proverbs 31.

“The head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Cor. 11:3).

“Man was not created for woman, but woman for man” (1 Cor. 11:9).

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church […] Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands” (Eph. 5:22-24).

“I speak concerning Christ and the church […] let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Eph. 5:32-33).

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord” (Col. 3:18).

“Teach the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the Word of God may not be blasphemed” (Titus 2:3-5).

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands” (1 Peter 3:1).

“Let your adorning be the inner person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:4).

Before elaborating on these, it is crucial to remember that when reading any hard truths in Scripture (if one may find these hard) that God is a good God. He is the essence of good. His plan for history is good. Everything that He has ever commanded is for our good and for His glory. If He designed us in a particular way for particular purposes, we must trust that obeying and embracing these roles is what will ultimately lead to our maximum joy and flourishing. It is common sense that going against what something was created for will inevitably lead to chaos. Understanding and embracing the purpose of what we were created for will lead to our utmost fulfillment.

Now you might be saying as a Christian, We were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Period. Yes, we indeed were. But how do we glorify God and enjoy Him? Scripture is clear in how men and women do that. In fact, one of the above passages is so clear about these things bringing glory to God that Paul even emphasizes that women are to heed these instructions “that the Word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:5). Regarding instructions to men, I am not a man, so having the understanding that I do not have the authority to teach a man (nor the capability to do so), this essay is geared toward women and the role God has laid out for us. It is clear that men have been given roles of authority by God, but I will leave that to the men to admonish other men in what that entails. As directed by Titus 2, I can only do my best in encouraging women to joyfully embrace the blessed roles God has created us for.

And so I will do my best…

To begin, it would serve us well to ask a few questions. Why do women want power, authority, and dominance at all? Why is this so important to them? What is their motive? What does it reflect about their heart? What has it been influenced by? What is the result? In contrast, what is the result of adhering to God’s admonitions (commands, if I may say so) to women? What are the motives of women who seek to embrace what many now refer to as biblical femininity? How do husbands (or men in general) respond? How do children respond?

Let’s start with the first question, Why do women want power, authority, and dominance at all? The answer to this answers the first group of questions collectively, and it is found in the Genesis account of the Fall. God pronounced judgment on Eve for her transgression in Eden, saying to her, “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Gen. 3:16). At first glance this seems to simply say that women will desire their husbands, but that doesn’t make sense given that this is a curse. A deeper understanding of the Hebrew reveals that the implication is that from now on the relationship between woman and man would now include a power struggle. One translation clarifyingly states, “You will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” It was Eve’s curse that has been passed down to women for generations that has caused them to want to fight for dominance and authority that was never meant for us. God resolves, “But he will rule over you.” Dominance belongs to the man. It is settled right then and there. Women must learn from then on how to temper their inclination to rule over their man (or over men in general), and to cultivate a submissive, trusting, gentle spirit of reverence instead.

It is clear that the former is driven by self-serving motivations. This ideology has been infiltrated all throughout our culture. Society’s influence of a “self-love”, I should be served, entitled mindset is glorified over a serving, self-giving, self-less spirit. Selfishness was not always considered a virtue. And ironically, it produces the most bitter, unhappy people. I can think of at least five people off the top of my head who I’ve heard state their observation that they “have never met a happy feminist.” This is not surprising. Feminists are protesting against the very thing that will fulfill them. I hear mothers telling their daughters admonishments quite often such as, “Go out there and save the world; you don’t need anyone to come save you”… “Women can do anything men can do; we can even do it better”… “You don’t need a f****** man, baby girl, you got everything you need right inside you. Don’t let any man dim your light.” (I heard that last one verbatim just recently. So endearing, right?) There are many problems with these admonishments, to say the least. To tell a young girl to go out and save the world puts immense pressure on her–pressure we as women were never meant to carry. We were created to be cared for, provided for, and protected by men. Being burdened by society to take on these masculine roles–all to prove ourselves?–only breaks us down and actually makes us look silly. Further, why is the need to be saved depicted as a bad thing? That indeed is how women begin to despise God, by becoming so proud thinking that they do not need saving. It is very much related. Just as the church relies on Christ for all things, so women, from the beginning, have always relied on men for their protection and provision and authority. This is truly a beautiful picture and reality that we get to live out, yet sadly this picture has been distorted to depict something demeaning. That depiction is a lie.

Another lie is that “women can do anything men can do.” I’ve been a female my whole life. I assure you, we can’t. Men and women are not built the same, mentally nor physically. Biology should be able to speak for itself, but in the times we live in, we apparently we need more. We can look at the men who compete in female sports competitions and always win. We can look at the many female police officers who have been dominated by male oppressors while on the job. We can look at the female infantry candidates whose standards had to be lowered in order for them to pass. And yes, I can hear the protests of the .01 percent of husky, insanely strong women who would override these circumstances. There is always an exception to the rule isn’t there? People love to point that out. But does the exception in this case override the ethical? Does the .01 percent of husky women mean that females are to pursue positions of power and authority, and be better off for it? Does it mean women are to infiltrate infantry platoons and go to war in battle to protect men and children? They want equality, right? They can do anything better than men can, right? I think we can all see how absurd this is. Yet the consequences of despising such ideologies of the Happily Ever After stories and the Knight in Shining Armor Saving the Damsel in Distress has led to the death of chivalry for feminists. Rather than welcoming a door being opened or a chair being pulled out–or God forbid, a husband lovingly providing for his wife–they have chosen to go to war instead. Or at least they pose for it. I don’t think they have thought it’s implications well through.

As for the woman using foul language to insist to her daughter that she doesn’t need a man, I’ll let her profanity swelled with emotions of anger speak for itself. Along with my friends, I too have never met a happy feminist.

I have, however, met many lovely, beautiful, kind, and happy women who love loving their man, love relying on him, love serving and respecting him, love being home with their children, and embrace their God-given feminine role of nurturing. These women have learned that their role in the home is nothing short of invaluable. Rather than pretending to be victims, they rejoice in the beauty of marriage and motherhood. They give themselves heart and soul to helping their husbands, managing their home, raising their children in the Lord, and creating a warm, cheerful environment for their family to rest in. These women are content. They are grateful. And they have learned to temper their emotions.

They have also learned that not everything needs validating. This is an especially valuable tip for wives and worth repeating: Not everything needs validation. We live in a very weak-minded, weak-tempered society. There are things that hold weight and things that don’t. Most things do not. Men are taught time and time again in counseling sessions to “listen and validate her emotions.” This is not necessarily healthy. On the contrary, women need to cultivate a spirit of gratitude. They need to be mindful of the horrors in this world that take place daily and praise God that they are not in such a situation. If women are being offended by trifles in marriage or motherhood or by any minor inconvenience or annoyance, how will they endure under real hardship? They have trained themselves to have weak spirits and temperaments. This is not virtuous nor an admirable quality that men value in their wives (or that we should value in ourselves). “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6), the apostle Paul reminds us. Let trifles go. Let offenses go. Don’t bring them up nor punish your husbands with silent treatments or by withholding sex. Love him. Respect him. Go out of your way to be helpful to him, and do it without grumbling. I don’t see many women teaching these things anymore, but watch how overwhelmingly sweet and delightful this will truly make your marriage.

Since I brought it up, yes, having sex often with your husband is very important for a healthy marriage. Often means as often as he wants. This is another thing that our society has downplayed and even ridicules as a negative, victimizing concept. Your husband wanting to have sex with his wife often is not bad. Healthy-minded women know this. Scripture is clear that our bodies do not belong to us, but to our husbands (“For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does,” 1 Cor. 7:4), and that husbands and wives are admonished not to spend too much time away from one another, as doing so will bring temptation to sexual sin (“Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control,” 1 Cor. 7:5). Men need to have sex often. This does not mean they are animals or have some sort of problem that needs to be fixed. God made men this way for the purpose of reproduction and intimate connection with their wives. (My husband says we need to bring back the term “making love,” as that is what sex used to universally be phrased as before the widespread acceptance of sexual liberation, when having sex was understood to be a loving act within the confines of marriage). The problem then is not with male sex drives, but lies within wives withholding sex from their husbands for selfish, silly reasons such as “I’m tired,” “I don’t feel good,” or as a punishment to him, leaving him sexually frustrated and shamed for not having self-control. This is terribly shameful to wives for treating their husbands this way. Then they get angry when they find out their husbands are watching pornography in secret. I am not justifying the use of pornography. Pornography is a tool of the devil to corrupt heaIthy minds, destroy healthy marriages, and pervert society. I despise it. But I do sympathize with husbands whose wives deny them intimacy and then expect them to just “control themselves” when the world is throwing pornographic images at them and their wives will not provide an outlet for them.

Pornography is largely a feminist trap toward men, and one of hypocrisy. Feminists fight for sexual liberation, largely through their freedom to create “adult entertainment” and loosely have as much sex with as many partners as they please. They know the purpose of these videos is overwhelmingly for male pleasure. Then they bash men for watching it, calling them perverts and womanizers. Men can’t win! Similarly, sexually liberal women give themselves to their dating partners generously. But if the man is lucky enough to finally get her to marry him (which 99.9% of men wholeheartedly desire), then once married she begins to withhold sex as a punishment or manipulation toward him. This is backwards and shameful. Women accuse men of all sorts of wrongdoings, but men are so simple. They just want a kind, sweet wife who doesn’t complain, who enjoys having sex often with him, and who will joyfully give him children. Most men do not have ulterior agendas and they certainly are not manipulators like women tend to be. How much sweeter a marriage would be if the wife let the little things go? (And there will be little things to let go of–men are different than women and can be seemingly insensitive at times. Rather than insisting that the man needs to change, how much easier to decide for you to change and not be so sensitive yourself? That would resolve a world of issues in your marriage, take a huge load off your husband’s back, and bring peace and tranquility in the home.)

This goes back to remembering that we as women were created as helpers to our husbands, not vice versa. “Man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man” (1 Cor. 11:9). When we truly understand and embrace this, it makes life so much simpler and sweeter. A wise friend of mine, Isa Ryan, wrote a concise little book titled Unburden Yourself which discusses just this–how letting go of unnecessary and harmful feminist expectations of womanhood and embracing instead the biblical way of womanhood actually brings relief, freedom, joy, and peace. I also highly recommend J.R. Miller’s beautiful work titled Home Making. He articulates the unmatching beauty of motherhood, wifehood, and husbandry in such a way that one can only praise God for the roles He gave us.

*Before moving forward, there are two quick things to address for clarification. One might have been thinking earlier, Wait, you overlooked that Scripture also states that the husband’s body is not his own but belongs to his wife. Yes, Scripture does say that. And how wonderful that is for us wives! But let’s be honest… do women need sex in the same way men do? No, we don’t. We certainly can enjoy it just as much, but we do not need it in the same way they do. We just aren’t wired like them. Second, some may have been thinking in the discussion of pornography, Wait, women are the victims here! What about sex trafficking?! Yes, sex trafficking is a tragic reality in the porn industry. That is undisputed. But the majority of female porn makers are not trafficked. They are liberal feminists who want to show off their sexual freedom and make themselves feel like they have power over men. Clearly in my reference to women in the porn industry I am not referring to the true victims. Some in fact are. But this society wants to make all women victims and we simply are not. OnlyFans is a testament to that. No one is forcing these women to expose themselves to the world (excuse me, to their fans). They are present day Jezebels, trying to entice and entrap men and then point fingers at these same men exclaiming what perverts they are. They know exactly what they are doing. Women can be really cruel.

Instead of being cruel, I am adamantly proposing we be helpers to men. I began this essay with Genesis 3:18–“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helpmeet suitable for him.'” Joel Beeke’s definition of helpmeet is “A capable and needed assistant well suited for man, created in God’s image, to support man in his calling to fill and subdue the earth.” This is a clear and concise definition of the role God assigned to women from the very beginning. It cannot be argued that this was just a “cultural mandate.” These were the very first humans created. God was setting a precedent with them for all time, for all to follow. Being clearly shown that we women were created to be helpers to our husbands, assistants, even, as Beeke insists, why not put our energy into happily doing that? Why not quit your pursuit of your own career–which burdens your husband rather than helps him–and stay home to support and assist him in any way he needs? It is not necessary for both parents to work. Virginia Vulgate rightly observes, “In just a few generations, American’s purpose for working has drastically changed from the necessity for survival to the drive for money and things. Our perceived need for things has long surpassed the earning capacity of most husbands. Many would argue that the two-income family is a modern necessity. But, is it truly a necessity or a choice? Is it time to discern between that which we truly need and that which we lust? Would it be best for our families if we reduced our expectations and allowed wives and mothers to return to being keepers of their homes?” Yes, it certainly would, being that that’s how God prescribed it.

I would add that another primary reason women insist on working these days is not necessarily just for more money, though that does make them feel more powerful, but to prove themselves as independent “boss babes.” Women, more so than men–though men can do this too–tend to seek their identity and self-fulfillment in their careers. Carl Trueman, in his exceptional book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, observes that job satisfaction used to be, until very recently, “empirical, outwardly directed,” and unrelated to how it makes one feel: “My grandfather spent his working life as a sheet metal worker in a factory. If he had been asked if he found satisfaction in his work, there is a distinct possibility he would not even have understood the question, given that it really reflects the concerns of psychological man’s world, to which he did not belong. But if he did understand, he would probably have answered in terms of whether his work gave him the money to put food on his family’s table. If it did so, then yes, he would have affirmed that his job satisfied him. His needs were those of his family, and in enabling him to meet them, his work gave him satisfaction. My grandfather was a man whose economic production and the results of that for others (i.e., his family) were key to his sense of self.” Trueman goes on to observe that many, if asked the same question today, have an instinct to talk about the pleasure or personal fulfillment their job gives them. “The issue of feeling is central.” This is 100% true of the majority of working women. Rather than working with the benefit of others in mind, their motives are self-focused. They are seeking self-fulfillment and self-glorification in their careers. This is not only unappealing to men but it is unhelpful to women’s health. Women in the workforce are overwhelmingly single. 70% of single women are on medication for their mental health. We were made for marriage. We were made for complementarianism within marriage. Men do not want to compete with their wives, but to live in polarity with them. Women were not made to compete with men, but to be the soft, feminine, nurturing presence in his life. Men need this in their lives. They need loving, joyful support in their endeavors. As women, we have great power to build them up or bring them down.

I read a story recently in an insightful book titled Created To Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl of a group of business men who gathered for an important work meeting at a restaurant. Each man had his wife beside him. Several wives were sitting in pleasant support of their husbands. One was sitting bitterly, feeling angry for whatever silly reason that was on her mind. This woman’s husband loved her, and during the meeting put his arm around her in an attempt to show he was proud of her. She immediately pushed his arm away and uttered some annoyance under her breath. Everyone felt an uncomfortable awkwardness and pity for the husband, but no one felt as embarrassed or ashamed as him. He sat quiet the rest of the night as the other confident men discussed their business. This husband was publicly shamed and robbed of confidence, and most likely will never put his arm around his wife in public again. He also most likely will not be as successful in life as the men whose wives lovingly support them.

But how can we support our husbands in their careers if we are busy supporting ourselves in our own? My admired friend Lori Alexander rightly has said, “We absolutely do need strong and intelligent women, not in the workforce (men can fill these positions), but for the most important jobs of all which are bearing and raising the next generation.” Which kind of wife are we going to be? One who brings our man down or one who builds him up? One who bickers and nags and complains at him, or one who shows daily how grateful she is for all he does? I’ve seen time and time again (and heard from men themselves) that the number one thing that husbands despise in marriage is complaining and nagging from their wives. It is a complete turn off to them, and it does not change anything. Men are going to be men. They leave their clothes on the ground and they aren’t quick to clean up after themselves. They can appear selfish in how they want to spend their free time. They might say something insensitive now and then. Are these dealbreakers for how we treat them? Do we really have such poor character that we let minor offenses change the entire atmosphere of our homes because we are so sensitive and too proud to let little things go? Richard Baxter wrote, “Live in a cheerful contentedness with your condition, and take heed of an impatient, murmuring spirit. It is a continual burden to a man to have an impatient, discontented wife. It is far heavier than his poverty. A contented, cheerful wife helps make a man cheerful and contented in every state.” I am sure many a rooftop corner can attest to his words.

Let us remember that even more central in serving our husbands is that we are serving God in doing so. By loving and respecting and being helpers to our husbands, we are being obedient to the Lord and honoring Him. This in itself can always motivate us to do all things with a joyful and contented spirit as we do them unto the Lord. And to our benefit, our husbands will most likely respond in positive ways. God’s Word even says, “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, so that even if any do not obey the word, they will be won over without words by the conduct of their wives” (1 Pet. 3:1). Notice that they are won over not by our words but by our behavior. Rather than preaching and nagging at them, which is fruitless, or trying to change them at all (let the Holy Spirit do that), work on changing yourself by cultivating a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

Another story I want to relay regards how a mother’s attitude toward her husband greatly affects their children. This true story is also taken from Debi Pearl’s book Created To Be His Helpmeet. She begins this story with the urging declaration, “The most important thing a mother can do for her children is to create an atmosphere of peace and joy by deeply loving their daddy and being satisfied with life.” She goes on: “Several years ago, my husband did a Family Life seminar for families at a large, conservative church. The people were given age-appropriate seminars before we got there. Each child (from every child who could write, up to single adults still living in the home) was asked two questions: 1) Is your home happy? 2) What one thing would you like to see changed in your home that would make it happier? Their responses shocked and saddened us. Out of 75 responses, only two or three kids considered their home happy. Nearly all 75 answers of the second question were basically the same. Ten-year-olds to single college-age adults had the same hopes and anguishes. They all said to a similar effect: ‘I wish Mommy and Daddy would love each other.’ The younger kids wrote answers such as ‘Our home would be happier if Mama and Dada didn’t fight,’ ‘I would make my Mommy and Daddy like each other,’ ‘We would have a happy home if Mama would not talk bad about Daddy,’ ‘I wish my Mommy wouldn’t talk mean to Daddy.’ The older ones wrote along these lines: ‘Our house would be a more peaceful place if Mom did not walk around with this frozen bitterness. I feel like we live in a war zone.'” This is a heavy reality. Women need to realize the immense impact our attitudes and words towards our husbands have on our children. In a society where children are already being told confusing messages about who they are and where their value lies, we must not add to their confusion. Instead, let’s show them the value of honoring and respecting their father and give them peace in the home.

There is a lovely older woman I know who has shown great respect and honor to her husband all her marriage. They have four grown children (they wanted more but she could not for health reasons). Their four children are all married with healthy, thriving marriages. They have eighteen grandchildren, and counting! They all love and follow the Lord and embrace their biblical roles as men and women. It is a beautiful family worth admiring. On the contrary, we see the results of ungodly women who embrace sexual liberation and disrespect their husbands. Just recently, the well-known actor child Jaden Smith attended a formal ceremony wearing what can only be described as a large, gaudy house-figure on his head. Jokes were immediately and publicly made about the immense need for attention this poor child must have: “With a mother publicly shouting her pride of ‘sleeping with men that’s not my husband’, we can’t expect anything less than her children showing up to public events with houses on their heads, begging for attention.” This scenario is just one example of many (and this is just a silly example; there are thousands of examples of tragic behaviors of children who grow up with self-serving mothers). And the former example of the woman who respected her husband and built a legacy of healthy, thriving children is also just one example of many. The most joyful, glowing women I’ve ever met have been those who submit to God’s calling on their lives to love and serve their families. Don’t let the lies of the culture fool you in what leads to a healthy and flourishing life. As I always say, let the results speak for themselves.

The results of feminism, to be sure, are increased divorce rates, overwhelmingly increased abortion rates, widespread mental disorders among women, depression, corruption of godly tradition, and destruction of the nuclear family. The results of biblical womanhood are committed and happy marriages, hard-working and chivalrous husbands, joyful and content wives, respectful children (lots of them), and peaceful homes. These undoubtedly lead to a better, honest, healthy, and more flourishing society.

Allow me to clarify that with all my emphasis on the importance of women at home, I am in no way implying that women are not equally intelligent to men. There are some pretty absent-minded men out there, and some pretty wise, intelligent women. But this does not necessitate that women are meant for the workforce. Women were created to put their wisdom and intelligence into raising their children and creating a meaningful home. God knows it takes quite the level of wisdom, intelligence, and discernment to rightly raise children. It is still yet equally true that women are typically more emotionally driven than men (there are exceptions of course), and these emotions are there for loving and nurturing our family. Men are much better at keeping a level head that works above their emotions, and that quality is overwhelmingly better suited for the majority of jobs.

Even acknowledging that many women do have the capacity to excel in high-level careers, does that make it good? I have seen Christian authors praise mothers who hold full-time careers with multiple children in the home (out of desire, not necessity) and it always leads me to beg the question—who is raising her children? No one is fit for raising a child like his mother. Several Hollywood women have recently boasted in being a wife, a mother, and having a career—in essence exclaiming, “Women, we can do it all!”  Yet as my wise friend Lori has written, “Sure, it is possible to do it all, but it is impossible to do it all well. Something will suffer, and it is usually the marriage and children.” 

I will give it to these celebrities for at least acknowledging that children are a blessing. A few years back TIME Magazine proudly promoted its headline cover, The Child-Free Life: When Having It All Means Not Having Children. It must have taken an incredible amount of determined stupidity to convince themselves of that statement.  

In his phenomenal work What’s Wrong With The World, G.K. Chesterton writes, “I do not deny that women have been wronged and even tortured; but I doubt if they were ever tortured so much as they are tortured now by the absurd modern attempt to make them domestic empresses and competitive clerks at the same time. […] Modern women defend their office with all the fierceness of domesticity. They fight for desk and typewriter as for hearth and home, and develop a sort of wolfish wifehood on behalf of the invisible head of the firm. That is why they do office work so well; and that is why they ought not to do it.” Women certainly have a forceful passion and drive inside of them to serve and to beautify all that is around them. But how silly to attempt to accomplish this–to beautify the world–by attempting to be like men. How silly to prefer to serve an employer or boss over serving our own family. This does not beautify anything. It serves only as a force that weakens and breaks apart families, as statistics show.

It is an undeniable reality that the percentage of adultery and divorce has skyrocketed since women have entered the workforce. This is no surprise. Men used to go to their jobs and work among other men all day, looking forward to coming home to the only woman in their life, their wife. (Prior to the Industrial Revolution men primarily worked from home in the company of their wives, managing their farm and homestead for production.) Men now go to work and spend more time with female coworkers each day than they do with their own wives. Combine this with the newfound absence of dress codes in the workplace, and husbands are now working beside provocatively dressed, sexually liberal-minded women all day—it is a recipe for moral failure on all counts. I do not believe there is a single person on earth who does not know a man who has cheated on his wife with a woman he works with. It is all too common, and its prevalence is due to Women’s Rights.

Thankfully by the grace of God Christian men can have exceptional godly character that overcomes society’s attempts to dissolve marriage. But point being, women in the workforce is not the best route for a healthy, flourishing society. Women were made to be at home.

This leads me to address a popular label that society has given to such homemaking women who happily embrace their biblical feminine roles: Trad wives. Feminists and even many Christians love to slander the now-labeled “trad wife,” focusing their emphasis on aesthetic appeal. But the ideology of what they stand for is what should first and foremost be addressed. Those who criticize trad wives are typically limiting the ideology to the aesthetic manifestation that the ideology tends to result in. They are overlooking what the ideology actually is. It is not an aesthetic. It is a deep-rooted belief of what biblical womanhood is, based off of Scripture. That is what should be foremost discussed (and is the purpose of this essay) and then there is room to address why certain outward appearances manifest from such beliefs. While the consequences of not being home with our children, the consequences of not submitting to our husbands, and the consequences of women in the workforce are clear, I’ll take a moment to briefly address what critics love to focus on: outward appearance.

Appearance matters. How we dress and present ourselves reflects what we believe. The principles and convictions that people hold in their heart will always manifest themselves outwardly. Women who dress like prostitutes with low-cut revealing clothing undoubtedly have a low view of themselves and believe that their worth lies in their seductive power to attract men. Similarly, liberal women who cut their hair short and dye it blue are not just making an aesthetic statement but are revealing much more about what they believe in their hearts about themselves and society, both politically and theologically. So women who love to live simply at home, valuing their children and husbands and pouring themselves into creating a loving, healthy atmosphere for their families tend to dress in a delicate, feminine, and modest way that expresses their inward beliefs. Inherent dignity is a predominant reason for such chosen dress. My friend Isa recently and so beautifully wrote, “Modesty is important for two reasons: 1) humility, and 2) the inherent dignity of women. In traditional Christian theology and practice, what is hidden and veiled is what is sacred. Veiling is a practice that was common in Christian churches well into the 20th century, because of 1 Cor. 11 which beautifully details how this practice reflects the glory of woman, who is the glory of man, who is the glory of God. Meanwhile passages on feminine modesty in dress are primarily about humility and Christian witness (1 Tim. 2). It is clear that this means being covered in dignity. But it is much deeper than simply ‘not tempting a brother to sin.’ Men can lust after women who are covered up. We should not be callous towards our brothers who are weak in this area by any means, but we should clothe ourselves in graceful humility because of our own inherent dignity, which is for the glory of God.” Amen sister. My friend articulates how deeply meaningful our reasons and motives are behind what we choose to wear and how we present ourselves.

Does this mean God-fearing women have to wear dresses? Of course not. Such thinking has only been suggested by those who are angry at women who do so. Similarly, one does not need to make their own clothes or bake homemade bread to be a good homemaker. For the record, I do neither and have no desire to unless my husband starts requesting these things. However, it must be acknowledged what these things represent, and therefore reveal why women insist on doing them. They both reflect being frugal, which saves your family money. And making homemade anything reflects a heart that wants to nourish her family with healthy food. These things are respectable and good. But it is very wrong to associate godly womanhood simply with feminine dresses and homemade bread. There are bound to be traditional-minded women who have misplaced their identity in such things, and I am here to emphasize that that is not good, nor does that reflect the majority of women who are desiring to live biblically. Our identity and ultimate fulfillment come from Christ alone. Nevertheless, as I am attempting to show, God has indeed laid out for us how we are to relate to one another and live out our roles, and if doing so tends to lead to certain outward appearances, there is nothing wrong with that. (I’d like to note that women universally did not wear pants until the mid-20th century, particularly during and after WWII. During the war, so many men were away and wounded that the time called for women to assist in caring for the wounded men in war. Pants were more practical for this needed assistance, and so women began to wear them during this time, for this reason. It was for a very specific time, purpose, and place. However, after the war ended women used this as an opportunity to continue wearing pants even outside of practical purposes. The purpose was now for the statement of “equality” with men. This is just one of the ways in which the unique beauty of femininity began to be squandered and framed in a negative demeaning light. “Trad wives” know this, and so embrace wearing dresses as a way to honor the traditional beauty of historical femininity. It also shows reverence and honor to their husbands. A running joke among “trad” women is, “Give me a dress, I let my husband wear the pants.”)

In What’s Wrong With The World, G.K. Chesterton notes the absurdity of women giving up their class and dignity in preference to insignificant male dress: “It is highly typical of the rapid plagiarism which now surpasses everywhere for emancipation, that a little while ago it was common for an ‘advanced’ woman to claim the right to wear trousers; a right about as grotesque as the right to wear a false nose. Whether female liberty is much advanced by the act of wearing a skirt on each leg, I do not know. […] It is quite certain that the skirt means female dignity, not female oppression; it can be proved by the simplest of all tests. No ruler would deliberately dress up in the recognized fetters of a slave; no judge would appear covered with broad arrows. But when men wish to be safely impressive, as judges, priests, or kings, they do wear skirts, the long trailing robes of female dignity.” To this day modern mentality mocks the times when women were robed in dignity, as seen in such films as Little Women where the mother of four daughters repeatedly expresses her irritation of the “restrictive corsets” and “blasted skirts” that the females are expected to wear. Modern women rejoiced when in 1923 it was made legal in the United States for women to appear in public in pants, but as Chesterton observed, they were rejoicing in a stepping stone to their self-made slavery, not freedom: “The Feminist (which means, I think, one who dislikes the chief feminine characteristics) is engaged in a very wide-spread and flourishing industry of the present age: She is making chains.” Where God adorned women in dignity and beauty, feminism preferred disgrace in the name of equality. Women are silly creatures indeed.

We can also see the diminishing dignity that feminism has caused women through their care (or lack thereof) in taking care of themselves. It has become a common belief to insist we shouldn’t have to take care of ourselves physically, or present ourselves in a lovely way, because “he should love me as I am.” But this derives from feminist influence, and it is not healthy. Yes, of course our husbands should love us regardless of how we are able to keep ourselves up. Outward beauty will inevitably fade, and it is our hearts that will forever be cherished. But that does not mean we should let go of all attempts to remain physically lovely to our spouse. If we love him, why don’t we desire to give him the best version of ourselves? Our husbands only get one wife, after all. Wouldn’t we want to give him the best possible version of ourselves that will delight him–both emotionally and physically–all the days of his life? And further, if we have any self-dignity, why don’t we show it? Letting ourselves go reveals a lack of self-control and self-discipline. These are not respectable qualities, and if we desire to be shown respect from others, it matters deeply how we present ourselves.

Outward dress and its importance also runs into the church. I have been to churches where the pastors wear Geneva robes, and there is a holy respect that comes with that. Most of today’s churches tend to cater to the culture and go out of their way to not offend its congregation. But the church is meant to be set apart. People go to church to find something pure, sacred, and hopeful–something that doesn’t reflect the culture that is letting them down. When I go to church, I am longing for holiness, for God. If the church looks just like the consumeristic society it is meant to be set apart from, it is dishonoring the sacred. It is this loss of sacredness in Protestant churches that is causing many Christians to leave Protestantism and opt for Catholicism, where church still contains a sacred reverential otherness rather than secular consumerism. (Though it is questionable how long the Roman Catholic Church will sustain their sacred conduct, given the ever increasing liberal ideology of the Pope, but I digress.) To drive a point home, my husband once joked to a pastor wearing a suit and tie during morning worship, “Why don’t you wear a robe? You are a holy man of God bringing a holy message, but I feel like you’re trying to sell me a car in that suit.” I’ll leave it up to you to laugh or to consider the truth in his joke. Or both.

(I’ll dismiss addressing the wardrobe of pastors who appear as though they are fashionably heading to the beach or to a rock concert during the preaching of their sermons. This is for people who take church seriously.)

Finally, this leads to the consideration of whether women are to wear head coverings in church. Paul is clear in his exhortations in 1 Cor. 11:2-10 that women are to cover their heads. I would like to consider R.C. Sproul’s understanding and teaching of this passage, as well as his son’s. I’ll begin with Sproul Sr’s.: “Commentators say that, in all probability, the reason why the Apostle exhorts women to cover their heads during church is because they don’t want to have the cultural scandal of appearing like prostitutes. My problem with that is this: If the Apostle gives an injunction and doesn’t give a reason for it, it’s certainly fair game to speculate to some degree, looking at the contemporary culture and saying, ‘Maybe the Apostle gives this injunction because of this problem in the contemporary culture.’ However, Paul gives a reason. And if there is anything that is transcultural, it is that which is rooted and grounded in creation–and the reason he gives for this is rooted and grounded in creation. I think, therefore, it is a mistake to dismiss this as a contemporary custom that is not applicable today.” I cannot argue with him. Along with the right emphasis of being rooted in creation, Sproul Jr. has further insight that I find pertinent to the discussion: “I am for them. I am happy to boldly suggest that virtually every Christian, from the time of Paul’s epistle to about half a century ago, agrees with me on this issue. What potent, interpretive insight, I wonder, did the church miss all those centuries? Isn’t it just a bit curious that all believers believed the same thing on this issue until the rise of feminism?” It is refreshing to hear wise, respectable Christian theologians take note of this. Yes, it is curious. And yes, it is clearly due to the emergence of feminism that women suddenly stopped covering their heads in church.

Further, twenty centuries of Christians were not mistaken in understanding the distinction between Paul’s uses of the word covering in this passage. After making his argument from creation (vv. 7-9), he then argues from what is known in the natural order (vv. 14-15), acknowledging that a woman’s long hair is given for her glory. Rather than subtly implying that he is now saying that a woman’s hair is the type of covering he is referring to in this entire passage, he is simply showing here that God has made man and woman different, and hair is one distinguishing marker between them. This is separate from his previous use of the term covering, in which it was universally understood that he was referring to a cloak or article of apparel. Finally, I agree with R.C. Sproul Jr. when he writes, “I am highly skeptical of the ‘Her hair is the covering’ argument. It strikes me that if that were the case, Paul wouldn’t have had to say anything. I don’t suspect there was a husbands-with-bald-headed-wives contingent there needing to be addressed.”

For the above reasons, I wholeheartedly agree that women should wear head coverings in church. As man reflects God’s glory and the woman reflects man’s glory, so with a man having his head uncovered and a woman having her head covered, all glory points to God in public worship. The only reason I do not (yet) is due to fear of judgment that I will give off a “holier than thou” appearance to others, being that I would be the only one in my congregation to do so. (Which would be ironic being that what the covering signifies has nothing to do with being holy and everything to do with being humble in submission, giving reverence to God and to the authoritative order that He established at creation.) Perhaps this is a sin on my behalf, to care more what others will (wrongly) judge me for rather than going with my convictions to honor God. This is something I have to work out in my heart and discuss more thoroughly with my husband, ultimately honoring his position. Perhaps if I had it my way, the result would be a church where the pastors wear Geneva robes, the women wear head coverings, and the women stay quiet in humble reverence to male authority (1 Tim. 2:11-12). Perhaps I am the weird one. Perhaps, though, that would lead to more holy sacredness in our Sunday worship. Perhaps I am just considering the angels.

(It is worth noting the very real significance of 1 Cor. 11:10, Because of the angels. Joel Beeke explains, “Angels were witnesses of creation [Job. 38:4,7] and are witnesses of God’s wisdom in the church [Eph. 3:10]. They would therefore observe the dishonoring of God’s created authority structure in the church.” I think that is a pretty heavy consideration.)

I would like to reiterate again that abiding by this arguably biblical philosophy of gender roles and all it entails is not required for eternal salvation. However, just as it is not required to read Scripture and pray everyday in order to be saved, is that not a fruitful and mature route? Similarly, it is not necessary to attend a Confessional Reformed church to be a Christian. There are many saved followers of Christ attending Evangelical Mega Churches. But does that mean there is not a strong case to be made for the Regulative Principle of Worship and membership at a Confessional church as a better, more biblically accurate way of worship? We come to Christ as we are, but we should always be maturing in what is good, true, and beautiful, i.e. sanctification, i.e. that which brings more glory to God and love to others.

It is a lifelong process. I am not a legalist, I promise. As much as I firmly believe in everything I am suggesting, I simultaneously see the sinner and often hypocrite that I am, and I am just thankful God loves me. I do not believe we can earn God’s love or favor through anything I am suggesting. He loves us in spite of us, because of who He is. His Word is clear that our best works are as filthy rags to Him, and I am not suggesting that our faithfulness merits our righteousness. I rejoice at Charles Spurgeon’s correct declaration that “You stand before God as if you were Christ, because Christ stood before God as if He were you.” It is out of utter thankfulness for this reality that I so passionately want to abide in Him and live by His Word, as we can clearly trust a Father who would give His only Son so sacrificially for us. I assure you, this is what I meditate on far more often than my feminine role as a woman, though this essay may insist otherwise.

The reason for this topic of biblical gender roles being a prominent and important discussion in our times is that for centuries the concept of gender roles was simply understood and accepted by all. Women lived out their feminine role as described in Scripture, and men lived out their authoritative role. It never used to be such a needed discussion because it was simply understood and embraced. There was no rebellion, apart from perhaps the inward struggle of women being prone to want to dominate out of their place, but that was tempered. This all changed the past 100 years due prominently to the Sexual Revolutions in the 40’s and 70’s. Since then, there has been such a wide rebellion against biblical femininity and has been so widely accepted and promoted in mainstream society that any push for a return to biblical womanhood is seen as an outlandish, condescending rebellion against modernity. When in fact, “trad wives” (I’ll take it) are simply trying to restore what has been lost. It cannot be forgotten that what matters in this assessment is which ideology produces the most good, which enhances flourishing families and societies, which is corrupting that which is good, which honors God, which aligns with Scripture, and which reflects the relationship between Christ and the church.

I am greatly invested in this because I have brought four children (so far) into the world who are growing up in a man-hating, sexually liberating society that is trying to fail them. I do not want my sons to feel ashamed of themselves simply for being men, giving up their honor of authoritative manhood and leadership, being left to struggle with pornography because there are no good women who will marry them early on and satisfy them throughout marriage. Nor do I want my daughters to grow up thinking their only option is sexually liberating victimhood, with pressure from society to prove themselves as strong as men and “save the world”–all of which will destroy them. I do not want them on mental illness medication due to misplacing their value and identity in their careers, sexual liberty, or “equality” to men. There is so much more for them, and I pray they find others who believe so as well.

So women, never underestimate the value of homemaking. No person’s value or identity should come from their career. You are quickly replaceable at any career position. No one can replace you as a wife and mother, making a warm solace for your family. My husband always says, “Going to work is the most boring thing in the world.” It perplexes me sometimes as I sit holding my babies and enjoying them and feeling spoiled that not only is this how I get to spend my life but it is how God wants me to spend my life, to think that women have traded this in preference for man’s dull labor. As if our curse wasn’t enough for us, women wanted man’s curse as well. G.K. Chesterton has rightly said, “Of all modern notions, the worst is this: that domesticity is dull.” There is nothing dull about loving your husband and helping him succeed and bearing children and raising them up in love in truth. It is full-time work that never gets old, and never loses value.

I recently read the words of a loving husband and father, “Children need their father’s strength, but they need their mother’s warmth–her quiet care, her gentle nurture. A mother’s work shapes her children. Whatever they become, her faithful labor plays a large part. Mothers do not just teach; they build something deeper. While men raise walls and roofs, women make those walls into a home. A house is just wood and stone. A home is warmth. It is the place you come back to when you’re tired and beaten. It is where memories are planted and traditions bloom. It is a shelter, an anchor–an oasis in a dry and weary world. No other place is like home, because no other place was made by your father and mother for you alone. Mothers are the heart of that work–shaping empty rooms into a place that nourishes and restores. Mothers hold us close. They kiss our bruises. They cook the meals we love. They sing us to sleep. It is quiet work, and the world rarely praises it. But it is no small thing. It is glorious” (Michael Foster). This man sees the beauty of homemaking. We do not need praise from the world–that is not the point. But we do need to understand for ourselves the immeasurable value of Paul’s admonishment for women to be keepers at home.

Fourth century Church Father John Chrysostom wrote extensively on the importance and value of heeding the distinguished biblical roles assigned to man and woman. In one such work he writes, “The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together. Where did love begin? With God. A woman should be entirely submissive to her husband and not oppose him in anything. A husband should love his wife as Christ loves the Church. If necessary, he should give his life for her. He nourishes her, protects her, and provides for her with every good thing. The wife, in turn, shows him honor, reverence, and obedience out of love and trust. This harmony, when practiced in marriage, radiates outward, affecting all of society. For a good wife is a crown to her husband and through her virtue, a household is blessed.” It is an unmistakable reality that a wife’s loving submission to her husband, as obedience to God, reaps blessings upon her household and upon society. It is how God has ordained it, and thus reaps the most plentiful and healthy fruit. And what honor! Preceding Chrysostom, second century Church Father Tertullian poetically encouraged women, “You are the daughters of Eve; therefore, you must walk in humility, clothed in modesty and grace. Let your beauty be the reflection of a gentle and quiet spirit, for such is precious before God. Do not seek to rule over men, nor to grasp at authority, for it was by such presumption that the Fall of mankind began. Instead, embrace the virtue of submission, which is a sign of strength, as Christ Himself submitted to the Father’s will. Let your hands be diligent in good works, your lips full of wisdom, and your heart steadfast in faith. For through the piety of women, households are made strong, children are raised in righteousness, and the Church is adorned in purity.” What an honorable responsibility we have, which should not be cast aside for feminist strivings. These early church fathers knew not only the danger of authoritative women but also the immense value and sanctifying fruit of women who seek to honor and uphold God’s purpose for their lives.

It was refreshing to come upon an article recently on godly wifehood written by a respected contemporary pastor and theologian whom I greatly admire and have previously mentioned, Joel Beeke. I found this article refreshing because it assured me that I am not out in left field on these matters, even in the times we live in. He writes in his article, “The husband’s call to love, nourish, and give himself for his bride, as Christ does for the church, is complemented by the wife’s call to respect and submit to him. He is the head of the home, providing and protecting (Eph. 5:23). She is at his side, the hub of the wheel in the home. God’s plan is timeless. We discard it at our own peril, but when we follow it, we are blessed. The blessing comes when we submit with contentment to this plan, trusting God’s wisdom (Prov. 3:5-6), standing strong against the feminists’ drumbeat which says this is degrading, choosing rather to be in God’s will, and expecting more blessings.” He continues, speaking of the role of the godly wife: “The godly wife is blessed when she loves God most of all, and His Word is written on her heart and manifested in her life. The godly wife is blessed when she is faithful to her husband. She wholeheartedly gives him her love, affection, commitment, and attention (Titus 2:4). She should focus on her husband’s positive characteristics and minimize his irritating idiosyncrasies (Prov. 10:12; 1 Pet. 4:8). Respect your husband (Eph. 5:33). Your respect for your husband begins in your heart and flows out in your tone of voice, facial expressions, affection (or lack of it), and words. He craves your appreciation for his work and acknowledgment of his gifts. Keep romance and intimacy alive. Keep yourself as healthy and attractive as possible. And always be affectionate. The godly wife is blessed when she submits to her husband. When they cannot agree, the husband has the final word. Some men are difficult to respect and submit to. The wife will need to pray for fortitude. She hopes and prays he will be sanctified by her example (1 Pet. 3:1-2). Nurture your marriage; it is precious. Blessings will follow the godly wife when she follows God’s plans for marriage, and those around her will be blessed as well.” God’s plan is timeless indeed, transcending across all of history and reaping the same blessings and consequences. I admire and rejoice at Beeke’s bold and precious admonishments, as he is in a minority in giving such.

Another contemporary pastor, John MacArthur, who, unlike Beeke, is outside my theological camp on a number of issues yet whom I nevertheless greatly admire, has rightly assessed, “A woman’s responsibility is in the home. That is where her duty is. That is where her opportunity is to have the greatest impact on the world. A woman does not impact the world by getting a brief case and going downtown. She impacts the world by raising a godly generation of men and women.” Feminists and career-oriented women may indeed impact the world, as we have seen by all that their influence has infiltrated, but as we have also seen, it is not the type of impact that brings blessings and joy and glory to God. Rather than teaching our daughters to prepare for a career, we should be teaching and preparing them to be cheerful and submissive wives and devoted and selfless mothers.

The above theologians all articulate that blessings flow to those around the godly wife. It is imperative to note that in order for those around her to be blessed, wives must realize the all-consuming task that motherhood and wifehood is, and that there is little room for “me-time” or distractions. I have found that wives and mothers get the most irritable when their focus is on something other than their husband or their children, and they then feel interrupted when their husband or children need them. The truth is, there really isn’t time for much else. If we are still trying to live for ourselves by cramming in activities or unnecessary tasks that will take up our time and attention, we will most likely end up looking at our children as distractions rather than as the primary focus of what we should be giving ourselves to. We are called to devoted motherhood, spending our time and energy raising our children in the way of the Lord. We are called to devoted wifehood, pouring our love and affection into supporting our husbands in their endeavors to help them succeed and thrive. We do not have our own separate agenda. Our agenda is to serve our family. While this is no light duty by any means, as I hope to be portraying, it can often be reduced to a much greater simplicity and joy simply by eliminating unnecessary distractions. As C.S. Lewis is often quoted saying, “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” This is not to say we are entirely limited in what this work looks like. The Proverbs 31 woman is busy doing many things, but they are all in servitude to her family, not to serve herself. She is not idle, but is cheerfully and sacrificially working in the home. This allows her husband to be publicly honored, as his wife is not a busybody going from house to house or job to job, but is faithfully tending to the wellbeing of her home.

I am not trying to leave men and their responsibility out of this. As has been mentioned, God is clear in His Word that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church, and there is immense sacrificial weight in that. My lack of emphasis on men is not to imply that they have zero responsibilities to their wives and children, and that the entirety of a healthy family falls on us. But as I mentioned earlier, it is not my place to instruct men. I can pray that God works in our husbands to lead us well and love us well, but it is ultimately up to other men to sharpen and strengthen other men.

I will end with the words of my beloved author J.R. Miller, for I cannot articulate in such a way as him the resplendence of all I have been trying to relay:

“Love is always ready to deny itself, to give, to sacrifice, just in the measure of its sincerity and intensity. Perfect love is perfect self-forgetfulness. Hence where there is love in a home, unselfishness is the law. Each forgets self and lives for others. He who goes forth in the morning from a happy, loving, prayerful home, into the world’s strife, temptation, struggle, and duty, is strong–inspired for noble and gracious living. A true home is one of the most sacred places. It is a sanctuary into which men flee from the world’s perils and alarms. It is a resting place to which at close of day the weary retire to gather new strength for the battle and toils of tomorrow. It is the place where love learns its lessons, where life is schooled into discipline and strength, where character is molded. Few things we can do in this world are so well worth doing as the making of a beautiful and happy home. He who does this builds a sanctuary for God and opens a fountain of blessing for men. Far more than we know, do the strength and beauty of our lives depend upon the home in which we dwell. The children who are brought up in a true home go out trained and equipped for life’s battles and tasks, carrying in their heart a secret of strength which will make them brave and loyal to God, and will keep them pure in the world’s severest temptations. The woman who makes a sweet, beautiful home, filling it with love and prayer and purity, is doing something better than anything else her hands could find to do beneath the skies.”

May we women choose the way we live our lives wisely, for the sake of our families, and unto the glory of God.