The One Command She Will Obey

Someone told it to me long ago, and in my experience, it is true. The one and only time most modern wives will obey their husbands is when the husbands tell them to find a job. She won't listen if he asks her to let her hair grow, or to wear feminine clothes. Or to become a homemaker, or to get another child. But money-making is sacred in our culture, so she will obey without even thinking whether there is another solution.

But if later their financial situation improves and the husband will ask his wife to quit working, suddenly marital obedience doesn't apply here. I have witnessed it first-hand. Now why is it?

In my opinion, it's because women are such horrible people-pleasers. Auto-correct tell me such a word doesn't exist, but you know what I mean. A housewife is lauded when she starts earning an income. Not so much when she quits doing it. It often begins with baby-sitting (and here I don't mean occasionally, but as a permanent side job). Many husbands who earn a decent living absolutely hate their wives' baby-sitting activities, especially when she neglects her own children and homemaking  (which mostly is the case). But, the neighbour lady is pleased and that's what counts.

There were Christian women who thought it was their mission to convert the toddlers of the unbelievers through home daycare, while their own daughters left the faith and started affairs with heathen men.  I mean how arrogant can you be...

But many won't want to work from home at all, because it's not glamorous enough. Their only reason is to get out of the house and become a part of a female clique at the working place. Something the NT expressly warns us about:

"And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. ¹⁴I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully."

Here is John Gill's commentary on the verses:

1Timothy 5:13-14:

 “the gadding widow”; who, as the gloss says,

“goes about and visits her neighbours continually; and these are they that corrupt the world.”

Of this sort of women must the Jews be understood, when they say ^{a}, it is one of the properties of them to be twynauwy “going out”, or gadding abroad, as Dinah did; and that it is another to be

twyrbd, “talkative”, which agrees with what follows:

and not only idle, but tattlers also; full of talk, who have always some news to tell, or report to make of the affairs of this, or the other person, or family:

and busy bodies; in the matters of other persons, which do not concern them...

 I will therefore that the younger women marry,…guide the house; manage domestic affairs, direct, order, or do what is proper to be done for the good of the family...

 The apostle is talking about idle widows here but many of the female "caregiver" type jobs (think various shades of a social worker) fall into the same category, i.e. going from house to house and putting their noses into the affairs of others, only instead of the church they are on the payroll of the government. They're those who will try to have your children removed if crossed.

Personally I feel minding your own business should be much more commendable.