{"id":21155,"date":"2014-04-10T22:16:52","date_gmt":"2014-04-11T02:16:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lovejoyfeminism\/?p=21155"},"modified":"2014-05-16T07:46:19","modified_gmt":"2014-05-16T11:46:19","slug":"ctbhhm-be-entrepreneurs-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lovejoyfeminism\/2014\/04\/ctbhhm-be-entrepreneurs-at-home.html","title":{"rendered":"CTBHHM: Be Entrepreneurs . . . but only at Home!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Created To Be His Help Meet<\/a>, pp. 220\u2014227<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this passage we turn back to women and work, and Proverbs 31.<\/p>\n

Men value hardworking women who are eager to learn how to do new things. No man wants to be saddled with a slow, incompetent wife. I have often heard my sons and their friends talking about what they wanted in a wife. They all agreed that they did not want to marry \u201ca maintenance chick.\u201d No young man wants to marry \u201ca lazy, visiting, \u2018gotta eat out\u2019 gal.\u201d<\/p>\n

All men agree on this one point: A good woman is a helper, not a hindrance. A help meet works, learns, and helps with the daily tasks of life. When a man gets home from work, there should be an obvious, visible, tangible difference in his house, his children, his food, and even his income, which she has helped generate. He knows his lady makes things happen, gets things done, and is not just a sweep-the-floor and wash-the-dishes gal. She is a true entrepreneur, an initiator.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you have heard a man say on occasion that some other man\u2019s wife, \u201cHe\u2019s got a good woman.\u201d If you ask that man to define the woman he referred to as good, he would be described a Proverbs 31 woman. It is a general blueprint of how a woman seeking to honor God should fashion her life. It is the kind of woman a man most admires.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u2019m not going to type in this whole section, because it\u2019s more of the same. I\u2019ll just give you the highlights, and then some analysis. First this:<\/p>\n

All the key words in Proverbs 31 are action words. She is a creative merchant. She is a worker. Almost every verse describes daily chores or a new enterprising task she is involved in. No one, not even her enemy, would call this woman lazy or slothful. She is diligent in her work, both when it is convenient and when she does not feel like working. In the end, it is this woman\u2019s work that speaks of her worth.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And then this:<\/p>\n

A virtuous woman is busy doing constructive activities. She explores business opportunities. SHe is saving money, making money, and investing money. I came to greatly admire this woman as I studied through her day-to-day activities. I stopped and asked myself, \u2018What could I start doing that would make me more of an active help meet for my husband?\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

All of this may seem a bit contradictory when compared to the rest of Debi\u2019s book. She has told women that they must always obey their husbands, whether they understand or agree or not. She has also told women that putting their children in daycare would be adopting their children out, and that leaving their children with babysitters is dangerous\u2014that they must not leave their children for even ten minutes. And then this?<\/p>\n

Ah, but wait. There\u2019s a clarification.<\/p>\n

As you read this, don\u2019t decide to get on the web and order $100,000 worth of stock, all in the name of being a good woman. You would be portraying a fool instead of a wise, virtuous wife. Don\u2019t think you have to get out and buy $40 worth of cloth to learn to sew or $170 worth of health-care products to sell part-time. Be wise, prudent, and first consider your husband\u2019s desires, your options, and your gifts. Remember our letter from Vicky? She could have been cleaning up her yard, fixing the screen door, and tightening up her leaking popes. It would not have cost anything but her labor. I suggest we all start \u201cbeing good\u201d with things that are less glamorous and more practical.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So.<\/p>\n

Debi is running up against a bit of a problem. Proverbs 31 very clearly describes a successful businesswoman, not simply a homemaker. Debi has to find a way to grapple with that. Her solution is to accept it, but then walk it back. Women are to be doers, entrepreneurs, innovators\u2014but they should apply these things in practical, homemaker ways.<\/p>\n

Debi next goes through Proverbs 31 verse by verse, titling the section \u201cTraits of a Good Woman.\u201d \u201cShe buys property, plants a cash crop, and multiplies her investments,\u201d Debi writes of the Proverbs 31 woman. \u201cShe makes, sells, and delivers quality goods.\u201d<\/p>\n

A good woman reaps what she has sown, and it is good fruit. The enterprises and business ventures she has put her hand to are profitable. The crafts, goods, and clothes she has made are known to be of excellent quality. Her dwelling and her services are well-managed, efficient, and tidy. Her children are honorable and seek God. Her husband has the time and heart to invest in other people\u2019s lives because of her being a good help meet. A good woman has lots of good fruit.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Like I said, Debi accepts the \u201centerprises and business ventures\u201d bit, but quickly turns these things into proper channels\u2014i.e., away from work outside of the home.<\/p>\n

Keep on hand informal books on health, gardening, cooking, child training and other teaching aids. For every hour you spend watching a film or reading a novel, spend the same amount of time reading something that will help you grow as a person. You will be amazed by how soon you come to enjoy the \u201creal\u201d stuff over the \u201cmake-believe.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You see what I\u2019m saying? Women are to be enterprising businesspeople . . . in natural health, growing fruits and vegetables for the family, preparing food, and raising children.<\/p>\n

Technically, Debi isn\u2019t against women working. After all, she herself works, and her daughter Shoshanna runs an online herb store<\/a>. Debi is against women working without their husbands\u2019 approval and against women working outside of the home<\/em>. A woman working in a home business alongside her husband is being a good homemaker. A woman working at domestic pursuits to bring in extra money\u2014raising and selling herbs, selling whimsical crafts on Etsy, writing books on homeschooling or child rearing\u2014is being a good helper to her husband.<\/p>\n

In other words, women are to be entrepreneurs . . . provided that does not lead them out of the house, and provided they keep their primary attention on their children.<\/p>\n

Debi finishes the chapter with this:<\/p>\n

ABCs of being a Help Meet<\/strong><\/p>\n

A\u2014Admit when you are wrong
\nB\u2014Be positive
\nC\u2014Cuddle
\nD\u2014Do it his way
\nE\u2014Encourage him
\nF\u2014Fix his breakfast
\nG\u2014Give back rubs
\nH\u2014Hug often
\nI\u2014\u201cI love you\u201d should be said many times daily
\nJ\u2014Joke around in a playful manner
\nK\u2014Know his needs
\nL\u2014Listen to him
\nM\u2014Manage your home well
\nN\u2014Never hold grudges
\nO\u2014Open your eyes in the morning and smile
\nP\u2014Pray for him
\nQ\u2014Quit nagging him
\nR\u2014Reminisce about good times
\nS\u2014Show respect and honor
\nT\u2014Trust, and earn his trust
\nU\u2014Understand his need for reverence
\nV\u2014Vulnerability is a feminine trait; cultivate it
\nW\u2014Wink at him
\nX\u2014X is for private times
\nY\u2014Yearn to please him
\nZ\u2014Zealously guard him with your love<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Next week we begin chapter 22: \u201cObedient to Their Own Husbands\u201d<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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