Should Christian women work outside the HOME ?

Is it sin for women to work outside the home ?

I always had a question ? Which religion doesn't allow women to be career . Then I went to Google and asked ' Can Christian women do career or work outside the home ? ' There were varied answers to this . The blogs like the Transformed Wife , More Radiance,etc. told in their blogs that women are to be housewives ( stay at home moms ) as working outside is a man's role but others discouraged the stereotype saying that ' A woman can work outside but should not neglect the family.'

Titus 2:5 says " to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. The Bible was written 2000 years ago where both men and women stayed at home and did their business ( they built a shade or a small cottage on the place where we now call as house-garden or very close to our homes. ' Workers at home ' means that women should contribute something to their households. As they should work in their homes like if you are planning to cook fried chicken , you can do that (traditionally women were domesticated ). If we read the full paragraph , we can understand that Paul was concerned of women who ,instead of working , became lazy , gossip queens ( huge sin ) , alcoholics ( drinking too much wine) . The society was patriachal ( culturally) in those times. Instead of wasting time , Paul told women to work . Obviously, they won't work outside ( because of business at home and laziness) so at least if they work at home , they will find a purpose. And working at home or being a homemaker (not housewife) and homeschooling kids catalyzes the godly development of the children by 20-35%. But it is not compulsory. Moms can take time to spend time with her children after coming to work in the evening.  In our culture, work-for-pay ordinarily takes place outside of and completely independent from the home. But a first-century Cretan didn’t drive to a high-rise in the city and work in a cubicle for 8 hours.  Most businesses were “cottage industries,” rooted in the family who owned them and with varying degrees of the work actually occurring at home and elsewhere.

Cretan Village

But if their children hardly get any time with both their parents and if they develop emotional, physical and health problems then the career or job is a sin .

Women can contribute some of her money to her family or can do some cooking or can guide her children a little more . But being a career woman doesn't mean that she should focus 100% on her career. She should build her relationship with God and Jesus (every Christian's first priority { any spiritual person's but I am specifically talking about a Christian issue}) then her family , friends and her children ( the Asian-African way of giving importance to WE more than ME) and then her career. 

My mom is an excellent example of a Christian woman. She is a famous dentist , an excellent homemaker , faithful wife ( but guides her husband correctly), kind and guiding mother , sweet daughter and a  devout follower in Christ and God. 

Proverbs 31 woman is an example of a working woman ( both inside and outside). She works willingly and sells garments to the people , does charity, manages her home, guides her children and family, makes time for herself, buys a vineyard, is active, strong , dignified and beautiful,both inside and out. She doesn't eat the bread of idleness.  And Titus 2:5 speaks a similar thing. She and her husband should make decisions and plans especially if they have children. Also Lydia(purple seller and rich) , Ruth(farmer) worked outside the home but never compromised their family and God . 

The Bible describes women empowerment and her roles in metaphorical , hyperbolic and in descriptive ways rather than simplified ways to find the mysterious beauty and puzzles ( I love solving) in the verses.

Tips to be a Homemaker and a Career Woman : 

1) God is your first priorty. Make sure if you are being good and don't have any selfish ambition.

2) You discuss with your husband and divide the roles and duties. 

3) Skip some time or useless office time to have time with your children or even better, on Weekends and especially Sunday , spend time with your family ( parents, husbands or/and children) means you can do shopping , church time, restaurant, theatre or anything. 

4) Regularly going to the children's school ( result day is a good day ) and seeing his reports and teaching them good values and Godly habits. And making them good citizens and followers of Christ.

5) Cooking or doing chores with her children/husband together like baking a cake or crunchy cookies, cleaning the house , making table ,etc.

6) Have a part time job or work at home (due to Covid-19 , it is the norm) is a good idea if you want to do the ultimate homemaking. Submitting to her husband means trusting him and being loyal to him.

7) Keeping her faith in Christ and being Godly . 

There are so many ideas. 

Means the bottomline is that a woman can work outside or inside but she must WORK and not be lazy. She must be a believer (in God and right things),woman and be a good wife , mother if she is married.