rechelle's lifelyrics

I have mentioned – or tagged – this phrase in several previous blog articles, but what does it really mean? To my surprise, it is only mentioned once in the Bible, in Titus. When I revisited the passage to begin writing about it, I was struck by the implication that most of the lessons younger women would glean from older women would be through example, instead of by words of wisdom from years of experience. Of course, I’m not negating the value of having heart-to-heart conversations about home life with my daughters and others. I’m just saying I felt the weight of responsibility to be all of the things listed in the letter first and foremost. It’s a pretty sobering set of scriptures…

“…That they may teach the young women to be… keepers at home, …that the word of God be not blasphemed.”

Now that I have raised my children, and my hair is turning grey (old fashioned spelling), I have accepted the role of being one of the “older women” that Paul was talking about. But recently, I’ve been wondering what being a “keeper at home” looks like in current times as opposed to when his letter was written. I try to imagine what daily life may have looked like for someone like me at the time the words were sent to Titus, and to really understand the message – instead of letting it morph into some sort of “touch not, taste not” mentality.

For example, was Paul trying to say that women should be at home, instead of going off to work or other things while raising a family? Was it to have no other goals or aspirations besides loving a husband and children? Well, I don’t have a time-travel device to visit the modern-day happenings of life 2,000 years ago. I can only say with confidence that the nature of human beings has not changed since the first interactions of people that we can read about in stories from several thousand years ago.

Whenever the subject of women working or being industrious comes up, I think of what Solomon wrote about the virtuous woman in Proverbs. She was no wallflower, that is for sure. She worked, managed a lot of other people, and even sold her wares at the market. The biggest takeaway to me is that she carefully and confidently made sure her home was cared for, her children were well-reared, and her husband was comforted by her faithful endeavors.

The Bible provides a wide range of good examples, who varied greatly in their daily lives and tasks. Ruth worked to care for her Mother-in-law, and it turned to a blessing for both of them. Esther was a woman of high rank, and yet she had a humility and love for God’s ways that dictated the way she approached and honored her husband, the king, and ultimately saved a whole people from being decimated in the time of crisis. Abigail had a husband who was not a good man, but she remained faithful, and courageously saved her whole household from being destroyed by her virtue and swift action when it mattered most. No matter the time frame, it is clear that a woman who strives to please God and care for her household to the best of her ability will shine as a “keeper at home” though her culture, circumstance, and characterization may look very different from those who she may have learned from.