Don't waste your life!
A lot of thoughts have been swirling in my brain surrounding the "Don't marry a career woman" discussion.One thing I feel that most feminists don't understand is why a woman would want to give up a career, financial success, and independence. It doesn't make a lot of sense from the world's point of view. That is because most people today live only for today.
Without God, there is nothing else to live for besides the moment. However, in Christ, you can find a whole new life, a life that is so much more than today. It is for Eternity!
There are a lot of things in this life which may seem urgent, but there are only a few things which are important.
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." (1 Corinthians 3:12)In Eternity, the money we made, the houses we lived in, the cars we drove, the clothes we wore - none of this will matter.
You have a choice...a choice to build your life around things which will satisfy you for the moment (wood, hay, stubble) and may give you pleasure and enjoyment here and now, but which will leave you sorely lacking at the end of your life. Or a choice to build your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ and to live for His glory. It is not an easy, carefree life. It is a life of serving, giving, and loving (gold, silver, precious stones). It is a life lived not for yourself, but for the glory of God. It is a life of the greatest blessing, fulfillment, joy, and peace you will ever know.
Pouring our lives out for others might seem like a waste to the world, but it is not a waste to God. Giving up a career and financial independence in order to be a help meet to our husband and to train and raise the next generation to the glory of God might seem like a waste to the world, but it is not a waste to God. Staying at home and serving rather than pursuing college and a career might seem like a waste to the world, but it is not a waste to God.
A life lived for self is a wasted life. A life lived to God's glory is never a wasted life.
Which life are you choosing?
"...Choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15)
posted by Crystal Paine at 4:14 PM
10 Comments:
What a wonderful post! Thank you! It is so true...when I tell people I'mnotgoing to college and plan on marrying right after I finish high school, and then having children right away (as soon as the Lord is willing), they just don't get it. But I know, and those of us who are taking the "road less followed" know as well...it's all about glorifying God!
So funny you should post this, I said about the same thing yesterday on my blog, http://highergroundtoday.blogspot.com/2006/08/just-insane.html
Titled Just Insane!
If we (women) are busy doing what God says to do, who has time for anything else?
I'm with you 100%.
The reason I sign my post, Kathy, Jeff's wife is because it is him that is to known in the gates, I am his helper, not the other way around.
I appreciate what you have to say about keeping eternal priorities in mind, but this post at least comes across as a bit of a false dilemma (I haven't read the whole discussion so forgive me if I'm jumping in with redundancies). That is, it seems to equate "career" with financial pursuits only and condemn it on the basis of choosing material possessions over family relationships. Do you think it is possible for a woman to have a calling from God to pursue a vocation other than or in addition to motherhood at certain times of her life? (I really am asking your thoughts; it strikes me that Christians often tend to view men as multi-vocational but women as uni-vocational, and I wonder about it.) Those of us who pursue college and "careers" don't necessarily do it for the money. I'm certainly not going to have fancy cars or expensive vacations as a classicist/early church historian! We may disagree about the inherent vocational capacities of women seeking to follow God, but please don't narrow the possibilities to materialism vs. godliness.
i love kathy's signature and the reason why!!!
Anonymous: Re-read the post. I strove to steer clear of boxes and hit the heart. We either glorify God, or we glorify self/the world.
All Christians - male or female - have one primary vocation and that is to glorify God. In every single thing we do. I think we often can lose sight of that.
I agree with the post.But at the same time I think that going to college wouldn`t harm a marriage or family.For example,I know that God has given me the gift of being able to write,why shouldn`t I use it for God? Why should I just waste this precious gift and do nothign with it? I plan to go to college and marry whenever the LORD wills.I plan to study journalism and work untill I have children.I want to be a stay-at-home-wife,but I also want to use my gifts to honor God.I also know that not every woman has the option to stay at home.Some need to work because the money is needed.
Don`t get me wrong,I`m totally agaisnt the feminist movement.I agree that God made the women to be the mans helper.But what is wrong with wanting to learn and use our gifts for God?
I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. For your blog. As man trying to look for a potental mate, your kind is few and far between. i agree with your observation of the artical not being loving. That was my major and only problem with that artical. It is so hard to hold to a biblical world view in todays cultural climate on the issue of gender. So many christians are pragmatic, in todays church, on gender issues. I could write pages and pages on this but honestly you say it much better than I.
Screaming Pirate: Thanks for your encouragement and God bless you as you seek to follow a less-trodden path!
Cristina - I think you are new to this blog so I encourage you to read the archives as you will find I am in no way saying women shouldn't use their giftings or talents! Quite the contrary! If God has given you a gift, use it to His glory. However, very few young ladies stop to really consider God's will and God's desires for them and how they can use their talents and giftings without compromising Biblical principles. One does not necessarily have to go to college in order to write well. There are many wonderful correspondence courses which can be done from home or you might consider a local college you could attend while living at home. As I've stated before, I don't think college is always wrong for all girls. I just posted a story of a young woman who went to college and dealt with this specific thing last week.
God bless you as you seek to honor and glorify Him in all you do and say and write!
All of us outta open our hearts and live godly lives if we want Jesus to return soon to liberate the world from wickedness.
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