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| Q: | At the present time, I am a working mother. My goal and hearts desire is to stay at home with my two children. My husband agrees that I should be at home. We both are struggling with paying our debt off quicker by my working versus the importance of staying at home with our children. Is there any scripture that could help us base our decision? | ||||||
| A: | First, I want to praise you for your concern for your children. Debt is a very difficult thing with which to wrestle when you are thinking about changing the amount of income you will be receiving. You don't ask for advice, and with the small amount of information which you give, if would be difficult for us to weigh the necessity of a quicker payment of debt over against a longer payment period for your debt and more time with your children. I would always opt for the children when it is something like paying off the debt in three years verses paying off the debt in six years. Children's souls are forever. Debt is temporal. It does sound like you can see yourselves paying off the debt without you working. Then it becomes a timing decision. When children are little is when they seem to need and benefit the most from the presence of loving parents. There are, of course, other options. There is part-time employment rather than full-time employment. That may mean changing jobs. There is the option of working at home. But you ask for Scriptural help to make your decision. Nothing in Scripture directly addresses your decision. But God gives us many passages to help you. Here are two: Proverbs 31:10-31 describes a wife who works out of the home. But everything in the home is described as going well. In fact, "her children arise and call her blessed." You might find it helpful to make your decision to examine carefully how your children are dealing with your working out of the home full time. When Jacob returned to the Promised Land and met his brother Esau, Esau asked Jacob, "Who are these with you?" Jacob answered: Genesis 33:5 "They are the children God has graciously given your servant." You might ask yourself if you view your children as gracious gifts of God to you. This is a question which both of you need to ask each other. The decision and the rescheduling is not only yours. Your husband may have to be involved with some job sacrifices so that both of you can spend more time with the children. Some parents arrange their work schedules (their jobs permit them to do this) in such a way that one of them is always with their children. One may work in a hospital and one may work for another type of employer that allows for flexible work schedules or for working at home. This can impact negatively upon the time that both parents have to be with each other and together with the children. Your children are two precious souls entrusted to you by a gracious God. Aside from God's Word and His Sacraments and your faith in Jesus, they are the most precious gifts that God has given to you. God will bless you as you wrestle with your decision. Take it to the Lord in Prayer. Talk to your pastor about it and give him more particulars and more information. Perhaps he can help the two of you make the decision. | ||||||
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