Question: Dear Greg,
If a wife makes more money than her husband does and she wants him to stay home to be a househusband, is there any biblical passage that forbids this?
Most Christian men think this is not right. Are we not to be submissive to one another? Is not this idea of the wife being the homemaker more a cultural thing that makes no difference to God either way? Isn’t it more important that we be good Christians? What do you think?
Bryan
Answer: Dear Bryan,
Your question sounds biblically reasonable and fair, but there are some thoughts you introduce that make it a little more involved:
1. The wife makes more money and she wants her husband to stay home and be a househusband. There are two issues here: a) is making more money the primary goal and objective for this couple? I don’t mean it isn’t important, and given the circumstances it might have to be a prime consideration if not the prime consideration. I am simply challenging the statement on its face for further consideration; b) the wife wants the husband to stay home. OK. What does the husband want to do?
2. It is true that many men, Christian or not, would be offended and demeaned by such a thing. It would be a major role change. Would it be unbiblical? Not necessarily. Yes, we are to be submissive to one another. The husband is also named as the head of the home, as Jesus is head of the church, but this kind of headship calls for service—not lording it over others. The idea that many men have as being head of the home is that they do all the things that our culture defines as a man being “in charge”. Jesus challenges this. He calls upon those “in charge” to be the servants. That goes for all roles and is a call that crosses gender lines. On the other hand, Jesus did not mean that women should be “in charge” and lord it over men. He taught that we all need to exercise servant leadership, putting the needs and desires of others ahead of our own.
In Christ,
Greg Albrecht