One time when I was working as a Civil Engineer, my boss asked me about my career goals. I told him that I wanted to continue to develop my skills in the specialized area of stormwater management and become the best civil engineer I could be for as long as I was doing this. And then, mustering up an extra ounce of courage (or foolishness, if you ask him), I added, “but eventually I want to be a stay at home mom.”
You may not be surprised to hear that I was terminated from my job a few weeks later. When I look back at that conversation and the soon-following termination, two things become evident to me:
- To my supervisor, it appeared that I didn’t want to have a career.
- To me, taking care of a home and raising a family was a career.
While I may not have recognized it in my head when I said it, as we know, “Out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45, NKJV). Even then, my heart believed that home management is a career, not just something you do instead of a real job.
Now as I sit here ready to fully embrace my career as Home Manager I see a need to give the position the validation that it deserves by defining it. A wise man, King Solomon, wrote almost an entire chapter in the bible on the subject of “an excellent wife”. I am done with being mediocre when it comes to maintaining my home and family environment. I want to be an excellent wife, and what better place to start then here!
Below I have written a job description for the “Excellent Wife”, based on the verses from Proverbs 31, which are referenced. This will serve as a starting point for those of us trying to get our bearings.
Position: Virtuous and capable wife.
Qualifications and skills:
- Hard-working (17)
- Energetic & Strong (17)
- Crafty/Resourceful (13, 19, 22, 24)
- Clothed in strength and dignity (25)
- Busy, Not lazy (27)
- Fears the Lord (30)
Duties:
- Rises early (15)
- Shops for food (14)
- Prepares breakfast (15)
- Plans household tasks (15)
- Delegates tasks (15)
- Earns for her household (16, 24)
- Deals profitably – doesn’t waste money (18)
- Helps others in need (20)
- Dresses well (22)
- Ensures her family has the clothing they need (21)
- Watches over everything in her household (27)
- Speaks wise words (26)
- Gives instructions with kindness (26)
- Laughs without fear of the future (25)
- Brings good, not harm, to her husband (12)
Compensation:
- Her deeds declare her praise. (31)
- Her children stand and bless her. (28)
- Her husband praises her and trusts her. (28, 11)
- She is valued more than rubies. (10)
Enjoyed reading it Yvetta! Keep sharing!
very good writing.
God bless you.