The Accidental Pastor's Wife

Seems the blogs are lit up again with all this discussion. Some of it is great. And if you haven't noticed, I do lean somewhat to the right on many of these issues.

I'm just not sure that the Bible teaches as a direct command that ALL women are to marry, have as many children as possible, and homeschool them, while raising goats and grinding their own grain for homemade bread. I think it's fantastic that there are women who choose this kind of lifestyle. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, and in some ways, I live kinda like that (no goats...) But to turn a lifestyle choice into a command is a huge jump to me, and when it's implied that you're living in sin if you don't do these things, well, I just have to remember all the man-made laws the Pharisees enforced. There are basic Biblical principles that are non-negotiable: Raise your children in the fear of the Lord, teach them the Bible, train them in the way they should go. I truly think that each family has to earnestly pray about HOW this looks in their family. God will do the convicting if something needs to change.

As the pastor's family, we can only encourage families to seek God's glory in their homes. Sure, I'd love to have another family in our church who homeschools and does family worship at home. But I shouldn't expect that everyone else has the same convictions about those things as I do. And I can't condemn the mom who works part time while her kids are in school all day but is in their classrooms weekly, volunteering at extra curricular activities and still faithful to bring her entire family to church. Is this woman in grave sin against God? There are some authors out there who would say "YES!" But I don't think I buy that...all the scriptures that deal with the home and women's roles are so broad that you cannot fit every single woman and family into this cookie cutter of homeschooling mom of 10.

We have a family who is considering homeschooling next year. I talk freely about it with her, but I always qualify what I'm saying with, "I'm praying that you and your husband agree on whatever outcome you decide. That's the most important thing." I'm not trying to push my views about homeschooling on her, but I do refer books to her, share honestly about the struggles, and pray for her. I'm not interested in guilting her into it. She has to want it for her own family, not because she feels pressured.