Calling or Career

The Titus 2 Mandate in Home schooling

CALLING OR CAREER:

The Titus 2 Mandate in Homeschooling

In today's homeschool movement there seems to be an incredible influx of wordly thinking. Parents are setting goals to train their children to achieve academic excellence and to get a job to provide for their families. Unfortunately, this is the sum of their homeschooling goals, as they feel the 'christian' life, or what they view as a 'christian' life will simply follow suit. While this is not only untrue but deceptive in and of itself, the topic I would like to address is what are our goals for our daughters?

Why should we train our sons an daughters differently? I am surprised to find that alot of parents do not make a differentiation in training their children; all are trained and educated with the same goals. I find it imperative to remind parents that God Himself has already designed the roles for our children in their future. The boys will grow up to be heads of their homes, married or not. The girls will grow up to be keepers of their home. Surely, a single man or woman may have a different lifestyle and different demands and responsibilities, but nevertheless, the roles do not change. We do not train our sons to be keepers at home and we do not train our daughters to be heads of the home. While this might sound near hysterical to some, this is sadly enough, what is going on.

Young girls are being raised on a daily basis and home-educated by women seeking departure from their own roles. Some mothers train their daughters to 'be all that they did not have an opportunity to be', while looking at their place at home begrudingly. Some women are not so bold about their rebellion, they simply state that they are not promised that their daughters will be married so they have to prepare them for the 'real world' of the working woman in the event that God calls them to be single.

The word of God is very clear on our distinctive roles. In Titus 2, we see some very important passages that help us in our homeschooling goals.

[Titus 2:3] The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

[Titus 2:4] That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

[Titus 2:5] To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

The aged, experienced, older women are to teach. They are supposed to be teaching. They are instructed to teach, they are called to teach and they have a responsibility to teach. But sadly enough, more than half of the older, mature, experienced women in the local assembly are not teaching. If she is teaching, it is not within the sphere of the younger woman, and it usually is more on other books of the Bible, rather than the practical things spoken of in Titus 2 in these passages. It is not very often that you see a Bible study course in the church bulletin that says this: "Come to our Titus 2 ministry Bible study! Learn the value of loving your husband, the need to love your children, the necessity to guard and keep the home, and the importance of our lives in light of onlookers".

Most often, we see studies on doctrinal issues or other topics such as the character of God, the names of God, the spiritual gifts, etc. While these are not bad in and of themselves, they are giving indication of a 90's woman's desires. She would rather learn theology than the chosen calling for her gender. I wonder oftentimes why women, when studying the nature of God and the attributes of God don't get inspired to abide in thier roles! For God Himself instituted these roles and this design; funny thing that when coming to know God we hear more about how a woman is equal with the man than we hear of a deep love for her individual role in light of the man's specific calling.

Because of this lack of obedience to scripture, it is my sincere belief that mothers now have a greater responsibility to train their daughters. Mothers have a incredible mandate to guard and protect their young daughters from the ideas that are working their way into the corridors of the local assembly; things like: it is not necessary for the young boys and girls to meet seperate, they can meet together and fellowship together without any need to differentiate between their specific callings in Christ.

I find it very sad that many churches raise children to go through a immature Sunday School program, to eventually sit in the meeting, tolerating the preaching and never being mature enough to be able to relate to it, to eventually and ultimately go into a youth group that seeks to entertain more than it seeks to disciple. I am personally thankful to be a part of an assembly that takes their Sunday School programs seriously and that have leaders that take their role seriously as well. Praise God they still exist! While each assembly surely has their problems, no one is perfect!........it is encouraging when a family can attend church with their children and trust their children to the leader's care.

When a homeschooling mother realizes the great influence she can have on her children, and lays aside any bitter or begrudging thoughts about her job at home; she can have the most profound influence on the lives of her children. That should make every mother sit up and take notice! Take notice to the things she is teaching her children without a word.

In seeking to train a daughter for her God designed and given calling, one does not have to slip into despondency feeling that all a girl needs to learn is cooking, cleaning and sewing!! Any woman following God's design can tell you that to be ignorant and unskilled gets no one anywhere!! It takes a smart mind, a quick thinker and a strong determination to please God to succeed in the home. Skills such as bookeeping, teaching, child care, nutrition, sewing, time management and more are needed.

These are oftentimes skills that alot of young wives know nothing about. I wish more older women would grieve and repent when a young woman marries and she is sent to be 'on her own' by her mother. A good, godly mother will become actively involved in helping a new wife set up home, care for the home and provide good meals and wisdom to her household. I oftentimes wonder what women are thinking when they pass the shower gift to the young women and say something like "good luck!" with a bitter grin.

I have such a desire to encourage mothers to train their daughters to be strong and equipped in their callings as young wives and mothers. Even if your daughter does not marry, she should be equipped to service, for I truly believe each and every woman alive is a keeper of a home; whether or not she shares it doesn't matter, she is to be, by design, the keeper of the home. She is designed to serve, so if God calls her to be single, He doesn't give her an exemption certificate to become a career woman living for self much like He does not give a young man that never marries the right to become a homemaker, living a life like a woman or a nomad! That just does not set right in my mind, a young man staying home, cooking, cleaning and serving all over town while a young woman is off to the office, supervising, leading and running a corporation.

Ladies, we need to really know, understand and abide in our callings. Rise up above the woman of the world. Seek to be different rather than trying to just fit in and not make any waves. I do not find anything noble about a career woman living for self, forsaking her home, competing with her husband and leaving her children to raise themselves and merely survive in life. But as scripture so beautifully states it, my heart believes:

"Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised!

Proverbs 31: 30