Where is a Woman's Place?

This spring, NFL kicker Harrison Butker made some waves for his graduation address to the Catholic Benedictine College that touched on a number of cultural touch points for Christians and sparked a debate on whether a woman's role is in the home or in the workforce. The actual words spoken weren't unexpected or out of place at a Catholic school. But what concerned me was the amount of people I read talking about the traditional family model of a working husband and homemaking wife as the only biblical model for gender roles. Too often, I think Christians adopt some aspect of Christian culture or tradition as truth and defend it without recognizing it is more cultural than biblical. I think this has happened for gender roles and it needs correcting so we can all understand the role that God expects us to play.

I don't know of any passage in the Bible that explicitly teaches gender roles.

There are several places where gender roles are described, but not prescribed. There are also several places where genders are handled separately from one another, such as instruction for marriage. Paul refers to a woman's role in the home in 1 Timothy 5 and Titus 2, but that is in two separate instructions to address idle single women not receiving support from the church and how older women can be a good example and teach younger women, respectively. There is no equal comment about males or an address of what the gender roles are supposed to be. In fact, in the description of a noble and praiseworthy woman in Proverbs 31, the woman works hard to provide for her family and community and looks more like the progressive working woman of today than the stereotypical role of a traditional woman homemaker. Men are also expected to have a role in the home, as well. The qualifications for a male overseer and deacon include managing their household well. Paul instructs the fathers to train their children up in the Lord in Ephesians and the book of Proverbs is a father instructing his son in wisdom.

The Bible gives some descriptive guidelines, but does not illustrate a clear and consistent model for gender roles, both within and outside marriages. I conclude that gender roles themselves should not be ultimate ideals. I think the teaching to be loving, caring, and others-oriented should be more informative for both the male and female identity than the few teachings on each specific gender. Every follower of Jesus has a responsibility to orient their life so that they serve others and consider their needs above their own. If you are married, there is a joint responsibility to care for the needs of any kids in addition to this.

To truly fulfill your biblical role whatever gender you are, take stock of the needs around you, how God made you, and your opportunities to love others. For a woman, this may be taking care of the needs of her children. It might be taking care of other children. It might be working to provide for someone else in need. It might be serving the people at work who need someone like her in their life. And on and on. But a woman's role should not be reduced to simply being in the home, caring for the kids. A woman's role is the same as a man's role: Pursuing opportunities to love and serve others around them.