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By: Amanda Frittz
Culture seems to have many stigmas about traditional living and traditional gender roles that just aren’t true. Today we are going to break down 5 myths and expose the empowering truths about traditional women.
The truth is, there is nothing insignificant or weak about being a traditional woman.
Traditional Women AREN’T Oppressed
Opressed – the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
While women decades and decades ago may have been forced into their roles, that surely is not the case anymore. At least, not in the U.S. Women have plentiful opportunities nowadays to work outside the home and pursue whatever lifestyle they desire. That’s great! I am pro-freewill and freedom to do as you desire as long as it does not harm anyone else.
All that is to say there is nothing oppressive about making the choice to live our traditional role. Having the freedom to choose is not oppressive. Just because the lifestyle may seem unappealing to many modern-day women who want to pursue a career, doesn’t mean women who choose to stay home are victims of unjust authority.
Traditional Women ARE Strong
Living out traditional gender roles doesn’t mean women don’t have a backbone or that they aren’t capable of doing other things. They are capable of many things, and the fact that they can go against the grain of society and take on judgment shows their tenacity and confidence in their identity.
They simply see the value of staying home and focussing on the family. To assume they are weak or incapable of other things is to undermine the work they do every day. Many strengths can be applied to homemaking, managing finances, homeschooling, and helping with your husband’s career. Having a team mindset, and not focusing on one’s own social status and success doesn’t make you weak.
Traditional Women ARE Living up to Their Potential
Along with the feminist movement came the idea that being at home was not fulfilling one’s potential. That is just not true.
Just because staying at home focuses on different values and ideals than a career-focused person, doesn’t mean it is the less valuable option. Focusing on your family and pouring into your children is extremely valuable. Yes, you can try to make family a priority even if you work, but I would argue that the division of priorities would be felt.
Traditional Women AREN’T Feeding Into Toxic Masculinity
There’s an assumption that submissive women are part of the problem of immature power-hungry boy-men. That’s the farthest thing from the truth.
In my own experience in my marriage, whenever I have been meek and given grace to my husband when he was in the wrong it grew his heart and made him repent. Challenging him by being equally loud and hurtful never did anything.
1 Peter 3:1 “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,”
A husband who loves his wife and God is not going to become hardened by soft and meek conduct. It’s just not going to happen. Unless you’re in an already abusive relationship (in which case, I encourage you to put your safety first) giving grace when your husband falls short is not going to encourage that behavior. In fact, it will almost always make him feel the weight of his sin and come to you in repentance.
Traditional Women DO Have a Voice
1 Peter 3:7 “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”
Following a traditional role doesn’t mean you don’t or shouldn’t have a voice. Husbands are encouraged to make decisions with an understanding of their wives. What do you have to do to understand your wife? You have to talk to her!
Wives should be heard, and feel encouraged to voice their opinions and concerns on a matter. However, it is when the husband and wife can’t come to an agreement that the wife should accept her husband’s headship if she believes in God’s structure and purpose for marriage. That being said, I truly believe a Godly man will value his wife’s perspective and want to honor her in the choices he makes whether they agree on the matter or not.