Watch your language

Yesterday, I was told that Titus 2 supports the fact that women are built to be "housewives." This is the passage where Paul is exhorting younger women to honor the Word of God through their conduct.

First of all, let me say that the term "housewife" has got to go. The actual word of God, depending on the translation you use, calls them homemakers or keepers of the home. Women are not married to their houses, people! And this is not about being politically correct. It is about honoring those women who are serving Christ through tending to the needs of their families. Call them homemakers, for that is what they are.

Secondly, am I being disobedient to God if a) my husband helps to keep my home, by contributing to the cooking and cleaning or b) I sometimes hire someone to do the basic cleaning at my house? I can't find any Scripture to back that up. I can find Scripture, namely Proverbs 31, that suggests a women's sphere of influence can be much larger than the four corners of her home.

And, here is something I ponder: if the Apostle Paul commissioned Phoebe as a full-fledged deacon to deliver the book of Romans over land and sea to its intended recipients, who in the world was keeping her home? And was she being disobedient to God by filling her leadership role in God's Kingdom while neglecting her household duties? I think not.

I hope, after reading this, that you will never again call someone a housewife. Even if you mean it in the nicest possible way, the language we use means something. Being a homemaker is a noble calling, one that deserves to be celebrated and honored. Let's part with our deeply-held patriarchal lens for a moment and get a clearer look at all that God intends for his daughters. In my humble conviction, the very furtherance of God's Kingdom here on earth depends on it.