As to her vocation, as to the woman on the job, the Scriptures consistently teach that (normally) the place of her employment is her home, and the nature of her labours is domestic. Her occupation, in the language of Proverbs 31:1–31, is the occupation of looking well to the ways of her household. She is vocationally, in the language of Scripture, a worker at home. Now granted, that is counter‑cultural in our collapsing culture, but it is biblical.

…

Note the phrase workers at home. The KJV renders keepers at home, the NIV: to be busy at home, the Amplified: homemakers, the NAS: workers of home. However rendered, it signifies an occupation involving her planning, the expenditure of her time, her skills, and energies and the venue—the context—is her home. The term describes the woman who willingly accepts the many and varied domestic activities and labours that are intrinsic to being a loving wife and a loving mother. Workers at home identifies the fulltime obligation of this young woman who is both wife and mother. She works in, she cares for the domain of her household. It is descriptive of fulltime devotion to the domain of her husband and her children, that is the home.

In the language of another: the devoted wife and mother finds her absorbing interests—not a casual interest, not a passing or sporadic interest—her absorbing interest in the innumerable duties of her home. These demand unsparing self‑giving, and may subject her to the temptation to be irritable and harsh in her demands. Thus she has to be trained to be kind on members of her household. She must therefore cultivate the virtue of being kind, benevolent; heartily doing what is good and beneficial to others—especially to those of her household.

In the language of another: their home is to be their kingdom. Workers at home depicts a wife and a mother extending herself occupationally within the realm of her home; devoted to the varying needs of her husband and her children. Proverbs 31:1–31 gives insight into the variety and kinds of work that she performs occupationally in her home. Proverbs 31:1–31 perhaps should not be seen as exhaustive, but is representative and even seen that way, it is an impressive variety and number of labours and skills.

I summarize them:

• She is to be a seamstress, a launderer, providing and maintaining the apparel of the home.

• She is to be a dietician and a chef in the provision and preparation of nutritious food.

• She is to be a teacher and an educator, rendering formative instruction.

• She is to give herself in her home to works of benevolence and works of hospitality.

• She is to be a kind of paramedic with a basic knowledge of health, first aid, and nursing health care.

• She is to be a financier of sorts, wisely handling portions of the family’s money, exercising frugality in her shopping.

• She is to be a kind of interior decorator, able to esthetically coordinate the furnishings of a home.

• She is to be an evangelist and a prayerful intercessor, praying for the welfare of her husband and her children.

All of these and more—many of which represented in Proverbs 31:1–31—are involved in her looking well to the ways of a household. How does a woman become competent for all of this? How does a woman become competent for a multitude of the very tasks which are hers? Do her skills suddenly appear on her wedding day? The answer is, no! Women must be trained for their vocation, just as men should be and need to be. Certainly, trained by their own mothers, but again, in our culture you cannot always count on that anymore. Thus, they need to be trained by the older women of the church, and the church is represented by these young people.

1 Timothy 5:14, I would offer, is consistent with identifying the vocation of the young wife and mother. Therefore I want the younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach. Lindsley writes about this text quoted, to rule of the house, or to keep house means, as the wife and mother in the home, to manage the household affairs. This is the domain and province of a woman in which no man can compete with her. That is true! Its greatness and its importance should ever be held up as the woman’s divinely intended sphere, in which all her womanly qualities and gifts find full play and happiest gratification.¹

George McDearmon