“No widow should be put on the list unless she is at least sixty years old, was the wife of one husband, and has a reputation for good works: as one who has raised children, practiced hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, helped those in distress – as one who has exhibited all kinds of good works…..So I want younger women to marry, raise children, and manage a household, in order to give the adversary no opportunity to vilify us.” 1 Timothy 5:9-10, 14 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/1ti.5.10.NET

A person’s role does not determine their value. We believe this in theory but not in practice. Nevertheless, what a person does is not an indicator of their value. Every person is valuable because every person is made in the image of God, and therefore all are equal in value before Him and should be before men. God assigns roles to men and women that correspond to their created order. Women were designed to help men with their work and to bear their children through marriage. Women’s greatest work is to bear children and raise them to obey God in unison with her husband, who provides for his family through his work and leads his family in obedience to the Lord. This doesn’t mean women can’t work or that women can’t lead. They certainly can and do. They certainly will work and lead around the home while raising their children if they embrace their primary role as nurturers of the next generation of disciples of Christ. Our society, and now our churches, disdain women staying home to raise children. A woman proves her equality with men by assuming the same roles as men in the culture. This is not Biblical. A woman’s value comes from God, not from her role or the esteem society gives her for that role. A woman’s primary role is to be a mother, which is not always possible for every woman in a sinful world, but that doesn’t negate the original intent of God’s design for men and women. When we occupy our place in our God-ordained roles, we embrace who we are and eliminate the confusion of our identity. The world is greatly confused today. The church has a tremendous opportunity to restore the dignity and value of men and women if they embrace biblical values and roles.

MAN Up! A guide to restoring Biblical manhood is an excellent resource for raising true men. Get yours here